dürfen vs zulassen
German word comparison
Listen to dürfen
Listen to zulassen
| dürfen | zulassen |
|---|---|
DÜR-fen modal verb | [tsuˈlasən] modal verb |
| to be allowed to; may (expressing permission) | to allow, to admit, to let happen (often about permitting an action or admitting someone/something) |
How they differ
Zulassen overlaps with dürfen in meaning but often stresses permitting an event, action, or entry to occur (e.g., admitting people or allowing an action to take place) and can imply toleration or permission granted by a system/rule; dürfen is the general modal for being allowed to do something personally.
When to use each
When to use dürfen: Prefer dürfen for direct statements or questions about personal permission to perform actions (e.g., "Du darfst das tun").
When to use zulassen: Prefer zulassen when talking about allowing events, processes, entries, or when a rule/system permits something (e.g., "Die Regel lässt das nicht zu" / "to allow/permit something to happen").
Side-by-side examples
- Du darfst hier nicht parken.
(You are not allowed to park here.) - Die Behörde lässt das Parken hier nicht zu.
(The authority does not permit parking here.)
Register & nuance: Zulassen is neutral to slightly formal and is common when referring to rules, permissions by institutions, or allowing processes to occur; it is less used in casual spoken permission requests than dürfen.
- See the full Word of the Day entry for dürfen
- See the Word of the Day entry for zulassen
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