# mögen
## German
### Etymology

From Middle High German mugen, from Old High German mugan, from Proto-West Germanic *magan, from Proto-Germanic *maganą, from Proto-Indo-European *megʰ-.
Compare Dutch mogen, English may, Icelandic mega, Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽 (magan), Serbo-Croatian moći, Bulgarian мога (moga).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈmøːɡən/, [ˈmøːɡən], [ˈmøːɡŋ̩]
* Audio:(file)
* Audio (Austria):(file)
* Rhymes: -øːɡən

### Verb

mögen (preterite-present, third-person singular present mag, past tense mochte, past participle gemocht, past subjunctive möchte, auxiliary haben)
* (transitive) to like (something or someone)
    Sie mochte ihn sehr. ― She liked him very much.
    Ich mag keinen Käse. ― I don't like cheese.
    Ich mag es, mit dir ins Kino zu gehen. ― I like going to the movies with you.
* (transitive, in subjunctive II) would like; to want (something)
    Ich möchte Käse. ― I would like cheese.
    Ich möchte keinen Käse. ― I don't want cheese.
* (intransitive, in subjunctive II) would like; to want [with dass (+ clause) ‘for someone to do something’]
    Ich möchte, dass du gehst. ― I would like you to leave.
* (auxiliary, in subjunctive II) to want to; would like to; to wish to [with bare infinitive ‘do something’]
    Ich möchte sie nicht fragen. ― I don't want to ask her.
    Was möchtest du wissen? ― What would you like to know?
* (auxiliary, colloquial, in the present indicative) to want; would like (similar to möchte)
    Magst du was trinken? ― Would you like something to drink?
    Ich mag nicht mehr drüber reden. ― I don't want to talk about it anymore.
* (auxiliary) may (as a concession)
    Das mag ja alles stimmen, aber so kann es nicht weitergehen.That may all very well be true, but things cannot go on like this.
* (auxiliary) may; might; could (expresses an uncertain possibility or condition)
    Das mag sein, weiß ich nicht. ― That may be. I don't know.
    Es mochte ein Fehler gewesen sein. ― It might have been a mistake.
* (auxiliary, chiefly in the negative) to be hesitant to (do something)
    Ich mag sie nicht fragen. ― I am hesitant to ask her.
* (auxiliary, higher register, in subjunctive I) may; be (paraphrases the optative).
    Möge die Macht mit dir sein. ― May the Force be with you.
    Mögest du all deine Ziele erreichen. ― May you achieve all of your goals.
** 2018, Anna Johannsen, Das Mädchen am Strand: Die Inselkommissarin, Luxembourg: Edition M, →ISBN, page 38:Er hob die Hand als Zeichen, dass sie nicht weitersprechen möge.He raised his hand as a sign that she should stop talking.(He wishes for her to stop talking.)
** 2024, Klaus Hillenbrand, “Deutsche Ignoranz bei Judenhass”, in Die Tageszeitung‎, archived from the original on 2024-02-07:Da prügelt ein Berliner Student einen Kommilitonen krankenhausreif, weil der Jude ist und auf das Schicksal der Hamas-Geiseln aufmerksam gemacht hat. Dafür möge der Schläger von der Uni fliegen, verlangt daraufhin Josef Schuster vom Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland.A Berlin student beat up a fellow student to the point of requiring hospitalization because he was Jewish and had called attention to the fate of the Hamas hostages. Consequently, Josef Schuster from the Central Council of Jews in Germany is demanding that the hooligan be kicked out of the university.
* (obsolete, modal) to be able to, can

#### Usage notes

* As with all modal verbs, the past participle gemocht is used in the perfect tenses only when the verb is not followed by another infinitive: Käse habe ich noch nie gemocht. – “I've never liked cheese.” When an infinitive follows, mögen itself also stands in the infinitive (double infinitive construction): Ich habe sie nicht fragen mögen. – “I was hesitant to ask her.” Additionally, a verb of motion can be omitted: Ich mag nach Hause is equivalent to Ich mag nach Hause gehen. (“I want to go home.”)
* Möchte and its forms are grammatically the past subjunctive (subjunctive ii) of mögen, but are never used as such in contemporary German. The conditional of mögen needs to be paraphrased with würde: Wenn ich Käse mögen würde, könnte ich viel mehr Gerichte essen. – “If I liked cheese, I could eat many more dishes.”
* Möchte is in fact used as a somewhat more polite synonym of wollen (“to want”) in the present indicative: Wenn ich Käse möchte, sage ich dir Bescheid. – “If I want cheese, I'll let you know.” (synonymous with: Wenn ich Käse will,...). In colloquial German, the split between mögen and möchte is so clear-cut that the latter may be interpreted as an independent verb and hence used in the infinitive: Du hast hier gar nix zu möchten! – “You're not in the position to express wishes!” This is, however, nonstandard.

#### Conjugation

$^1$Preferred; avoid the alternative in würde.

#### Related terms

* möglich
* vermögen

#### Descendants

* → Central Franconian: müjje

### Further reading

* “mögen” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
* “mögen” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
* “mögen” in Duden online
* “mögen” in OpenThesaurus.de
* “mögen” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.

## Low German
### Alternative forms

* mägen
* mügen (Paderbornisch)

### Etymology

From Middle Low German mȫgen, from Old Saxon mugan.
Compare German mögen, Dutch mogen, English may, Icelandic mega, Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽 (magan).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈmœːɣən/, /ˈmœː.ŋ/ (Mecklenburg, Pomerania, Brandenburg, conservative dialects in northern Lower Saxony)
* IPA: /ˈmøːɣən/, /ˈmøː.ŋ/ (Eastphalia, Lippe, less conservative dialects in northern Lower Saxony)

### Verb

mögen (third-person singular simple present mag, past tense much, past participle mucht, auxiliary verb hebben)
* (auxiliary) may, can, be allowed to.
    He mag düt Johr nich in de Ferien föhren.He isn't allowed to drive during the vacation this year.
* (auxiliary) used to express presumption, often used as the English should
    Dat mag al Klock söven wesen!It should already be 7 o'clock!
* (auxiliary) to wish to, to would like to
    He mag geern fröh opwakenHe has the intention to wake up early
* (auxiliary) often used with glöven or seggen, emphasizes their meaning
    Dat magst du woll seggen!It is well said!
* (transitive) to be allowed to have/take, to may have (used as a polite way to request something)
    Möögt wi en Glas Melk?May we have a glass of milk?
* (transitive) To like.
    Ik mag em nich so geern.I don't like him that much.

#### Usage notes

The old subjunctive II form müch is used to express a wish. It can also be used along with an infinitive with the meaning "to want, would like, wish".

#### Conjugation

Note: This conjugation is one of many. Neither its grammar nor spelling apply to all dialects.

#### Synonyms

* (may): könen, künnen
* (want): wüllen, wünschen
* (like): leefhebben