dürfen and sollen: permission and instructions

dürfen und sollen

Ask what is permitted and understand what someone expects or instructs you to do.

Use dürfen for permission: Darf ich hier sitzen? means “May I sit here?” Use sollen for an instruction or expectation from a person, rule or plan: Du sollst den Scanner holen. With both modal verbs, the conjugated modal takes position two and the main verb goes to the end as an infinitive.

Choose dürfen for permission and sollen for an instruction, expectation or reported duty. Conjugate the modal and leave the main verb as an infinitive at the end.

At work, “Sie dürfen hier warten” grants permission; “Sie sollen hier warten” reports an instruction. The one-word change alters the meaning.

Do not conjugate both verbs. Say “Du sollst den Scanner holen,” not “Du sollst den Scanner holst.”

Permission → dürfen. Someone says what should happen → sollen. The action verb waits at the end.

Ask two permission questions with darf and report two workplace instructions with sollst or sollen.