moeten

From Middle Dutch moeten, from Old Dutch muotan, from Proto-Germanic *mōtaną. Cognate with English mote (“may, might”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈmutə(n)/

• Audio

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• Rhymes: -utən

moeten

1. (intransitive) to be necessary, to be required
2. (auxiliary) to have to, must

   Hij moet gaan. ― He has to / He must go.

   Moest je nog werken vanavond? ― Did you have to work tonight?

   Synonym: verplicht zijn te

   Antonym: niet hoeven

3. (auxiliary) should, be meant to, be supposed to

   Het moet hier zijn, maar het is gestolen. ― It is meant to be here, but it was stolen. / It should be here, but it was stolen.

   Dat moet je echt niet doen. ― You really should not do that.

   De nieuwe wet moet op 1 januari in werking treden. ― The new law is supposed to come into force on 1 January.

   Synonyms: zou moeten, horen

4. (intransitive) to have to go, to need to go, must go

   Ik moet nog naar de supermarkt vandaag.

   I still need to go to the supermarket today.

   Antonym: niet hoeven

5. (intransitive, informal) to need to go to the toilet

   Ik moet heel nodig! ― I really need to go!

• The past tense moest can be used in the present. In Dutch, one can ask "Moest je nog werken vanavond?" which can mean both "did you have to work tonight?" and "do you have to work tonight?". This is similar to gaan.

• Afrikaans: moet
• → Sranan Tongo: moe

From Old Dutch muotan, from Proto-Germanic *mōtaną.

moeten

1. (auxiliary) to have to, must, to be obliged to
2. (auxiliary) to be allowed to, to have permission to
3. (auxiliary) will, shall

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

• Dutch: moeten
  • Afrikaans: moet
  • → Sranan Tongo: moe
• Limburgish: mótte

From Old Dutch *muoten, from Proto-Germanic *mōtijaną.

moeten

1. to meet, to come upon
2. to meet with hostility

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

• Limburgish: mote

• “moeten”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• “moeten (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, 1929
• “moeten (II)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, 1929