# Dutch: conjugation of the verbs 'kunnen' and 'kennen'



## Stéphane89

Hello everyone! I'm learning Dutch at school and there are some things I would like to understand:

What is the difference between *kunt* ; *kan* ; *kent* ; *ken* and so on. Actually, I would need to see the complete conjugation of the verbs '*kunnen*' and '*kennen*' in the present tense. It would help me understand the difference between those forms.

xxx

Thanks very much to anyone who can help me!


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## jonquiliser

Some of your questions you'll probably get the best answers for here, but in the meantime, there's a great resource to disperse some doubts, for verb conjugations: http://www.verbix.com/languages/dutch.shtml

veel geluk


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## Joannes

This is the paradigm of Dutch kunnen ‘to be able to’ in the present tense:

1SG *ik kan*
2SG (informal) *jij kan* / *jij kunt* (formal) *u kan* / *u kunt*
3SGM *hij kan* 3SGF *zij kan* 3SGN *het kan*
1PL *wij kunnen*
2PL *jullie kunnen*
3PL *zij kunnen*
IMPERSONAL *men kan* (‘on peut’)

The difference between *jij kan* and *jij kunt* is one of register, the former being less formal than the latter. (The same with *u*.)

As a Belgian living in Brussels it might be important to note that Brabantic Dutch 2SG only knows *gij* (*u - uw*) and that the form of *kunnen* with *gij* always is *kunt*. **Gij kan* is ungrammatical. (Remember also that verb forms with *gij*, like forms with *u*, don’t lose their *-t* suffix in case of inversion, as the *jij* forms do: *jij kunt* - *kun jij?* / *gij kunt* - *kunt gij?* / *u kunt* - *kunt u?*)

As in English, *jij* can also be used with an impersonal meaning (like *men*, Fr 'on', Eng 'one'). In that case, *kan* doesn’t seem to be less formal.

The case for *zal* / *zult* is exactly the same. (So the mods can merge the threads again. )

The paradigm of Dutch *kennen* ‘to know, to be acquainted with’ in the present tense:

1SG *ik ken*
2SG (informal) *jij kent* (formal) *u kent*
3SGM *hij kent* 3SGF *zij kent* 3SGN *het kent*
1PL *wij kennen*
2PL *jullie kennen*
3PL *zij kennen*
IMPERSONAL *men kent*

It’s quite hard to tell when to use *kunnen* and when to use *kennen*. *Kunnen* is usually translated as ‘pouvoir’ (in the ability sense, not the permission sense) and ‘savoir’ in French and ‘can, to be able to’ in English. *Kennen* is usually translated ‘to know’ in English but could in French mean ‘savoir’ as common as ‘connaître’, *weten* virtually always getting translated to ‘savoir’ (and obviously ‘to know’ in English).

I know Belgian speakers of French use *savoir* in a broader sense than the French, sometimes also meaning ‘to be able to’. (How about you? Could you say *je ne sais pas nager* ‘I can’t swim’?) This obviously complicates matters.

Anyway, I hope you get it. I suppose I, or someone else, could give some examples if necessary but no way I can give an exhaustive (comparative / contrastive) overview of the forms here. I think you should just practice a lot. I found a website on which there are a few exercises on *kennen */ *kunnen* / *weten*, maybe they can clarify the differences as well. I will send the link in private message because - apparently - I am not allowed to post links here (yet).

Bonne chance, petit Belge!


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## Stéphane89

Ok! Thank you so much!! My real difficulties were recognizing *kennen* from *kunnen* in a text and conjugating them when I have to write. In general I know which one I have to use but it still could be helpful to do some exercises to practise.

To answer to your question, I indeed say *"je ne sais pas nager"* (_I can't swim / I kan niet zwemmen?_). Being half-french, it may be that I sometimes don't use 'savoir' in the same way as the Belgian speakers, I don't know. Nobody ever pointed it out to me. The essential is to understand each other.


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## JanWillem

I think conjugation and recognizing of the verbs is indeed a matter of practicing a lot; the verbs have no overlap in their use as far as I know.


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## Jeedade

JanWillem said:


> the verbs have no overlap in their use as far as I know.


I agree, but don’t be surprised when you hear the verb “kennen” mistakenly used for “kunnen” in colloquial speech (at least in the Netherlands, I have the feeling the Belgians are better at this). This unfortunately is a common mistake, try not to get confused by it.


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## JanWillem

Yes, it's used in the Amsterdam 'dialect', and by others who think it's cool to do so


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## Lopes

'En het verschil tussen kennen kannen kunnen we niet'


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