toestaan

Toestaan is a Dutch verb meaning to allow, permit, or authorize something. It expresses that a particular action or situation is allowed or not prohibited, often by rules, authorities, or agreements. In everyday and formal contexts, it appears in statements such as “Het is toegestaan om hier te parkeren” or “De wet staat dit toe.”

Conjugation and usage: The present tense forms include ik sta toe, jij staat toe, hij staat toe. The past tense is ik stond toe. The perfect tense uses hebben toegestaan, as in “Ik heb het toegestaan.” The past participle is toegestaan, which also functions as an adjective meaning permitted, e.g., “een toegestane handeling” (a permitted action) or “een toegestane activiteit.”

Common nuances: Toestaan is distinct from toestemmen, which means to consent or approve (often a person giving agreement rather than a rule granting permission). Toestemming, meanwhile, is the noun for permission or approval. Typical constructions with toestaan include “Het is toegestaan om te …” or “Het staat toe om …,” and they are common in signage, regulations, and formal communication. In informal speech, speakers may replace it with synonyms like mogen or laten.

Geographic and usage notes: Toestaan is widely used in Dutch in the Netherlands and Belgium, across legal, administrative, and everyday language. It appears in a range of registers, from official texts to public signage, and remains a standard way to describe permissible actions.