te wete/te kenne

Old Infinitives: Te Wete and Te Kenne

Level 6

Old fixed phrases: twee probleme, te wete geld en tyd (two problems, namely money and time); Hy het te kenne gegee dat hy wil bedank. (He indicated that he wants to resign.)

How It Works

1. Te wete: namely. In formal writing, te wete introduces a list or a clarification, like namely or that is: Die span het twee probleme, te wete geld en tyd. (The team has two problems, namely money and time.) The related phrase te wete kom means to find out: Ek het eers later te wete gekom wat gebeur het. (I only found out later what had happened.)

2. Te kenne gee: make known, indicate. Iets te kenne gee means to make something known, to indicate or to give someone to understand. The verb gee changes as usual: Sy gee te kenne dat sy nie saamstem nie. (She indicates that she does not agree.) Hy het te kenne gegee dat hy wil bedank. (He indicated that he wants to resign.)

3. More phrases of the same kind. Other fixed phrases keep the same old -e:

  • iets te wagte wees (to expect something): Ons kan môre reën te wagte wees. (We can expect rain tomorrow.)
  • genoeg te ete (enough to eat)
  • te kampe hê met (to have to deal with)

4. Not a living rule. Ordinary infinitives after te have no -e: om buite te eet, om dit te weet (see om te + infinitive). Compare also te koop, te huur. The -e forms belong only to the fixed phrases, which mostly sound formal.

Examples (6)

  1. Die span het twee probleme, te wete geld en tyd.

    The team has two problems, namely money and time.

    Word by Word: The team has two problems, to know money and time.

  2. Hy het te kenne gegee dat hy wil bedank.

    He indicated that he wants to resign.

    Word by Word: He has to know given that he wants resign.

  3. Ek het eers later te wete gekom wat gebeur het.

    I only found out later what had happened.

    Word by Word: I have only later to know come what happened has.

  4. Sy gee te kenne dat sy nie saamstem nie.

    She indicates that she does not agree.

    Word by Word: She gives to know that she not agrees not.

  5. Ons kan môre reën te wagte wees.

    We can expect rain tomorrow.

    Word by Word: We can tomorrow rain to expect be.

  6. Daar was genoeg te ete vir almal.

    There was enough to eat for everyone.

    Word by Word: There was enough to eat for everyone.

Common Mistakes

  • Dropping the -e in te wete kom.

    Ek het eers later te weet gekom wat gebeur het.
    Ek het eers later te wete gekom wat gebeur het.

    Te wete kom is a fixed phrase and keeps its old -e.

  • Dropping the -e in te kenne gee.

    Hy het te ken gegee dat hy wil bedank.
    Hy het te kenne gegee dat hy wil bedank.

    Te kenne gee is a fixed phrase. Te kenne keeps its double n and final -e.

  • Adding -e to an ordinary infinitive.

    Dit is lekker om buite te ete.
    Dit is lekker om buite te eet.

    The old -e belongs only to fixed phrases such as genoeg te ete. After om ... te, use the plain infinitive.

How It Connects

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te wete/te kenneLevel 6Old Infinitives: Te Wete and Te Kenne

Learn This First

Te wete and te kenne are old infinitives of weet and ken.

Words in This Pattern

teweteken