dürfen

From Middle High German dürfen, durfen, from Old High German durfan, from Proto-Germanic *þurbaną, cognate with Ancient Greek τέρπω (térpō, “I delight, please”), English tharf.

• (most of Germany) IPA^(key): /ˈdʏrfən/, [ˈdʏʁf(ə)n], [ˈdʏɐ̯f(ə)n]
• (parts of southern Germany; Austria, Switzerland) IPA^(key): /ˈdʏrfən/, [ˈd̥ʏrfən], [ˈd̥ʏrfɛn]

• audio (Austria)

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• Audio

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dürfen (irregular, third-person singular simple present darf, past tense durfte, past participle gedurft, auxiliary haben)

1. (auxiliary, infinitive replaces past participle) To be allowed (to do something); to be permitted (to do something); may.

   Darf ich gehen? — “May I go?”

   Ich habe gehen dürfen. — “I was allowed to go.”

2. (intransitive or transitive, past participle as above) To be allowed or permitted to do something implied or previously stated; may.

   Ja, du darfst. — “Yes, you may.”

   Ich habe es gedurft. — “I was allowed [to do] it.”

3. (subjunctive present, modal auxiliary verb) Expresses that something is estimated or probable.
   • 1934, Walther Kabel (as Max Schraut), Der Bluffer, Verlag moderner Lektüre, page 54:
   • Die Wohnungen dürften ein wenig hellhörig sein.

     The walls of the apartments are probably a bit thin.

4. (colloquial) to must, to have to

   • Und ich darf dann wieder hinter euch aufräumen.

     And I can clean up after you once again then.

• Ido: darfar

• können
• mögen
• müssen
• sollen
• wollen

• dürfen in Duden online