darfst

Darfst is the second-person singular present tense form of the German modal verb dürfen. Dürfen expresses permission or allowance, as in "Du darfst hier bleiben" (you may stay here). It is a distinct concept from können (ability) and müssen (obligation), and it is commonly used to indicate what is permitted.

Conjugation and related forms: Present tense forms are ich darf, du darfst, er/sie/es darf, wir dürfen, ihr dürft, sie/Sie dürfen. The simple past is durfte. The past participle is gedurft and is used with haben in perfect constructions, as in "Ich habe das tun dürfen" (I have been allowed to do that).

Usage notes: In main clauses, the conjugated modal verb generally occupies the second position, with the main verb in the infinitive placed at the end when another verb is present (Du darfst heute Abend kommen). In subordinate clauses, word order follows the clause rules, with the infinitive at the end. For asking permission, the common question form is "Darf ich...?" For formal address, "Sie dürfen" is used; "du darfst" is informal singular. Negation forms include "du darfst nicht" (you are not allowed to).

Context and scope: Dürfen covers allowances granted by rules, authority, or social norms. It does not express ability the way können does, and it often appears in social or administrative contexts where permission is needed or granted. Variants and related verbs include the formal address and related negations, making dürfen a frequent, essential modal in German.