Modal Verb 'willen' (to want) - Present Tense (A1)

Willen means "to want (to)". It is another irregular modal verb.

Conjugation:

• ik wil (I want)
• jij wilt / wil (you want - informal singular) - Both forms are common.
• u wilt (you want - formal singular/plural)
• hij wil (he wants)
• zij wil (she wants)
• het wil (it wants)
• wij willen (we want)
• jullie willen (you want - informal plural)
• zij willen (they want)

Sentence Structure: Similar to kunnen, the main verb goes to the end in its infinitive form.

Subject - Modal Verb (conjugated) - (Rest) - Main Verb (infinitive)

Examples:

• Ik wil koffie drinken. (I want to drink coffee.)
• Modal: wil (conjugated for ik)
• Main verb: drinken (infinitive at the end)
• Wat wil jij eten? (What do you want to eat?)
• Zij wil naar huis gaan. (She wants to go home.)
• Wij willen een nieuwe auto kopen. (We want to buy a new car.)
• Willen jullie thee? (Do you (plural) want tea?) - Sometimes the main verb (like hebben or drinken) is omitted if clear from context.

Note: Unlike English "will" for future, Dutch willen primarily means "to want". Future tense is often expressed differently.