kan

Can

Level 1

Kan means can. Put the main verb at the end of the sentence: Ek kan swem, Kan jy my help?

How It Works

Form. Kan never changes: ek kan, jy kan, sy kan, ons kan, hulle kan.

Word order. Kan is the second part of the sentence, and the main verb goes to the end. Everything else sits between them. See modal verb word order.

  • Ek kan swem. (I can swim.)
  • Hy kan drie tale praat. (He can speak three languages.)

Questions. In a yes/no question, kan comes first: Kan jy my help?

Negative. The first nie comes after kan (and after a pronoun object), and the second goes at the very end: Sy kan nie vandag kom nie.

Three meanings.

  • Ability: Ek kan swem.
  • Possibility: Dit kan vanmiddag reën. (It might rain this afternoon.)
  • Permission, in everyday speech: Kan ek hier sit? For a more polite request, use mag: Mag ek hier sit?

No om te. Unlike some other verbs, kan is followed directly by the plain verb. The past form is kon (modals in the past).

Examples (6)

  1. Ek kan swem.

    I can swim.

    Word by Word: I can swim.

  2. Kan jy my help?

    Can you help me?

    Word by Word: Can you me help?

    In a question, kan comes first and help goes to the end.

  3. Sy kan nie vandag kom nie.

    She can't come today.

    Word by Word: She can not today come not.

  4. Kan ek hier sit?

    Can I sit here?

    Word by Word: Can I here sit?

  5. Hy kan drie tale praat.

    He can speak three languages.

    Word by Word: He can three languages speak.

  6. Dit kan vanmiddag reën.

    It might rain this afternoon.

    Word by Word: It can this-afternoon rain.

    Here kan means something is possible.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the main verb straight after kan, as in English.

    Kan jy help my?
    Kan jy my help?

    The main verb goes to the end, after the object: Kan jy my help?

  • Adding om te after kan.

    Ek kan om te swem.
    Ek kan swem.

    Kan is followed by the plain verb, with no om te.

  • Leaving out the first nie.

    Ek kan swem nie.
    Ek kan nie swem nie.

    A negative sentence needs nie after kan and another nie at the end.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

kanLevel 1Can

Learn This First

Kan follows the modal word order pattern.

Words in This Pattern

kan