Introduction: Expressing Ability

Modal verbs (or auxiliary verbs) are helper verbs that add meaning to the main verb in a sentence. They express concepts like ability, permission, necessity, obligation, or desire. We don't use them on their own; they always accompany another (main) verb.

This chapter focuses on the modal verb kunnen, which primarily expresses ability or possibility, equivalent to "can" or "to be able to" in English.

Conjugation of kunnen in the Present Tense

Kunnen is an irregular verb. Its conjugation in the present tense is as follows:

Pronoun	Conjugated Form	Translation
ik	kan	I can
jij/je	kunt / kan*	you can (inf. sg.)
u	kunt	you can (form.)
hij	kan	he can
zij/ze (sg.)	kan	she can
het	kan	it can
wij/we	kunnen	we can
jullie	kunnen	you can (inf. pl.)
zij/ze (pl.)	kunnen	they can

Note on jij form: Both jij kunt and jij kan are used. kunt is traditionally considered more grammatically correct, but kan is extremely common in spoken Dutch and increasingly accepted in writing.

Sentence Structure with Modal Verbs

When you use a modal verb like kunnen with another verb (the main verb), the sentence structure changes from a simple sentence:

Subject + Conjugated Modal Verb + (Object/Adverbials/Rest of sentence) + Main Verb (infinitive)

The key points are:

1. The modal verb (kunnen) is conjugated according to the subject.
2. The main verb (the action that the subject can perform) moves to the end of the clause.
3. The main verb at the end remains in its infinitive form (the full -en form).

Examples:

• Simple: Ik spreek Nederlands. (I speak Dutch.)
• With kunnen: Ik kan Nederlands spreken. (I can speak Dutch.)
• kan is conjugated for ik.
• spreken is the infinitive at the end.

• Simple: Jij kookt goed. (You cook well.)
• With kunnen: Jij kunt (or kan) goed koken. (You can cook well.)

• Simple: Hij parkeert hier. (He parks here.)
• With kunnen (negative): Hij kan hier niet parkeren. (He cannot park here.)

• Simple: Wij zien de auto. (We see the car.)
• With kunnen: Wij kunnen de auto zien. (We can see the car.)

• Simple: Zij komen morgen. (They are coming tomorrow.)
• With kunnen: Zij kunnen morgen komen. (They can come tomorrow.)

Questions with kunnen

To form a yes/no question, invert the subject and the conjugated modal verb:

Conjugated Modal Verb + Subject + (Rest) + Main Verb (infinitive)?

• Statement: Jij kunt zwemmen. (You can swim.)
• Question: Kun jij zwemmen? (Can you swim?)

• Statement: Hij kan helpen. (He can help.)
• Question: Kan hij helpen? (Can he help?)

• Statement: Jullie kunnen dat zien. (You can see that.)
• Question: Kunnen jullie dat zien? (Can you see that?)

Kunnen (to be able to / can) is a crucial modal verb for expressing ability or possibility. Memorize its irregular present tense conjugation. Remember the sentence structure: Subject + kunnen (conjugated) + ... + Main Verb (infinitive). This structure, with the infinitive at the end, is typical for sentences with modal verbs.