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Modal verb: hoeven te - Modaal hulpwerkwoord: hoeven teIntroductionThe Dutch modal verbs (kunnen, moeten, mogen, willen and zullen) modify the rest of the sentence by expressing certain modulation like possibility, permission and obligation. Hoeven te is also a modal verb, but is a special case because it used for the negation of the obligation that is expressed by moeten (‘to have to'). Hoeven te is always accompanied by a negative element in the sentence, and means 'not to have to' or 'not to need to'. Hoeven te + niet / geenHoeven te + negative element is used to negate the modal verb moeten. This negative element is most likely to be niet or geen. Te followed by the infinitive is positioned at the end of the sentence. In the examples below, the negative elements are underlined.
Note that te splits up separable verbs. In the example above it affects opstaan.
As with other modal verbs, the infinitive that accompanies hoeven te is not always present. When that is the case, te is also omitted. The last sentence in the examples above (Simone hoeft niet met de fiets) is an example of this. Hoeven te + other negative elements There are other negative elements, not just niet or geen, that can be used to negate obligation. In the examples below, these negative elements are underlined.
The inclusion of (alleen) maar and pas may seem strange, but they too express a negative aspect: as explained under discourse particles, (alleen) maar expresses something like 'nothing else/no more than'. Pas can be paraphrased in a similar way as 'no earlier/sooner than'. Note that as with other modal verbs, the infinitive that accompanies hoeven te is not always present. When that is the case, te is also omitted. The last sentence in the examples above (Morgen hoef ik pas om tien uur naar mijn werk.) is an example of this. Moeten + niet / geen It is possible to use the verb moeten + negative element, instead of a negation with hoeven te, but then the meaning of the sentence is much stronger: not ‘not have to' or 'not need to', but ‘must not'. Consider the following sentences:
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