- Forum >
- Topic: German >
- "Dürfte ich es lesen?"
44 Comments
In English it is normal to say 'Can I read it?', rather than the more precise 'Am I allowed to read it?' if one is asking for permission here. 'Would I be allowed to read it?' means 'Would you let me read it if I wanted to?'
Except that it is "dürfte", which is the polite past tense: You would get the English "could I read it?" which is indeed far better than the preferred DL translation IMHO.
If they do accept it, they shouldn't. That would be, "Darf ich es lesen?"
863
As with "Ich soll" and "Ich sollte" (that are both translated as "I should"), are you sure the same doesn't happen with "Ich darf" and "Ich dürfte" (which then would be translated both as "I may") ?
I'm sure. "Darf" and "dürfte" are most definitely different. If you were to say, "May I/Am I allowed to read it?" it would be, "Darf ich es lesen?" "Would I be allowed to read it?" is "Dürfte Ich es lesen?" I mean, I guess it's possible that they both translate to may, but they'd at least mean something different. "Darf" is simply present tense while "dürfte" is conditional.
Same with "soll" and "sollte". They are both translated to "should," but they aren't used under the same circumstances. They have slightly different meanings. "Soll" is "should," as in an obligation. "Sollte" is more of a suggestion.
Hope this clarified things a bit.
- 863
Thank you, DieDeutscheMan.
I guess it will take a while until I am able to "feel" it. A lot of practice will be needed.
The polite form would be: "May I read it" and is used frequently. I am not sure how one would differentiate in German between the polite request and a genuine enquiry asking permission to do something. "Could I read it" is frequent but is not precise in English, it may also mean "Am I capable of reading it", as when someone learning German for just three weeks asks if he could read Kant in German.
Is it possible to use 'Darf ich es lesen?' and if so what is the difference between 'darf' and the presented word?
"Dürften" is the Subjunctive Form of "Düfren", and this form used in some situations like Polite Asking as this sentence. Note that Modal Verbs and their Subjunctive Forms are quite irregular: (ich/er/es/sie darf) - (ich/er/es/sie Dürfte)
What exactly is the difference between Konjunktiv II and Präteritum?
Präteritum is simple past, for example
"Ich lebte dort." - "I lived there."
Konjuktiv II (Präteritum Konjuktiv) is used to expres desire, dreams, fantasies, imaginary situations etc., for example
"Was möchtest du" - "What would you like"
The first time I put this, I wrote "Am I allowed to read" and it was wrong because I forgot the "es". This time I put "Am I allowed to read it", which was a suggested answer last time, and it was marked wrong!! Grrrr....
"Should I read it?" would be, "Soll ich es lesen?" or "Sollte ich es lesen?"
Would " Darf ich das lesen?" be correct? What is the difference between "darf" and "dürfte" in this context?
- 1514
In another question, Durfte was 'must' where I had answered 'may'. I was marked wrong. So in this question, I put in 'may' and I get it wrong!??
Two sentences before in this exercise, I translated "dürfte" as "could, and was marked wrong, with correct translation given being "should." In this sentence, therefore, I used "should" and was marked wrong, with the correct translation presented as "could," in the exercise. Why was "could" marked wrong before?
may I read it...that's it...not, would I be allowed to read it...obviously we are learners here...why put some meaningless half translation here to trip people up...Would I be allowed to read it, if...something, then it may make more sense.
I put 'Might I read it?' (Might being the past tense of may) A bit archaic maybe but it was accepted
I put 'Might I read it' (past tense of May). A bit archaic maybe but it was accepted
