Definify.com

Definition 2024


moeten

moeten

See also: möten

Dutch

Verb

moeten

  1. (intransitive) to be necessary, to be required
  2. (auxiliary) to have to, must
    Hij moet gaan.
    He has to go; He must go.
    Moest je nog werken vanavond?
    Did you have to work tonight?
  3. (auxiliary) should, be meant to
    Eigenlijk moet daar een schilderij hangen, maar het is laatst gestolen.
    A painting is really meant to be hanging there, but it was stolen recently.
    Dat moet je echt niet doen.
    You really should not do that.
  4. (intransitive, informal) to need to go to the toilet
    Ik moet heel nodig!
    I really need to go badly!

Usage notes

The past tense moest can be used in the present. In Dutch, one can ask "Moest je nog werken vanavond?" which can mean both "did you have to work tonight?" and "do you have to work tonight?". This is similar to gaan.

Inflection

Inflection of moeten (preterite-present)
infinitive moeten
past singular moest
past participle gemoeten
infinitive moeten
gerund moeten n
verbal noun
present tense past tense
1st person singular moet moest
2nd person sing. (jij) moet moest
2nd person sing. (u) moet moest
2nd person sing. (gij) moet moest
3rd person singular moet moest
plural moeten moesten
subjunctive sing.1 moete moeste
subjunctive plur.1 moeten moesten
imperative sing. moet
imperative plur.1 moet
participles moetend gemoeten
1) Archaic.

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • (have to, usually in negative sentences): hoeven

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch muotan, from Proto-Germanic *mōtaną.

Verb

moeten

  1. (auxiliary) to have to, must, to be obliged to
  2. (auxiliary) to be allowed to, to have permission to
  3. (auxiliary) will, shall

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants