kunnen

Can/Be Able to

Level 1

Kunnen (can/be able to) is a modal verb used for ability (Ik kan zwemmen), possibility (Dat kan), and informal permission (Kan ik gaan?). It is followed by a bare infinitive at the end of the sentence, or it can stand alone to show proficiency in a skill.

How It Works

1. Conjugation in the Present Tense
The singular forms of kunnen are irregular because they do not take the standard -t ending for the third person (hij/zij/het).

  • Ik kan
  • Jij kunt (standard) / Jij kan (very common)
  • U kunt (formal) / U kan (common in both the Netherlands and Belgium)
  • Hij/zij/het kan (Note: No -t!)
  • Wij/jullie/zij kunnen

Inversion Rule: When jij or je follows the verb in a question, the -t is dropped if you are using the kunt form: Kun je me helpen?. However, Kan je me helpen? is also perfectly correct and very common in spoken Dutch. This follows the dropping -t before jij rule. Important: For the formal u, both Kunt u...? and Kan u...? are used, though Kunt u is traditionally preferred in formal writing.

2. The Past Tense (Imperfectum)
To talk about ability in the past, use the strong past tense forms:

  • Singular (ik/jij/u/hij/zij/het): kon
  • Plural (wij/jullie/zij): konden

Example: Ik kon gisteren niet werken. (I could not work yesterday.)

3. Sentence Structure and the Perfect Tense
As a modal verb, kunnen works with a bare infinitive (the full verb without 'te'). The main verb moves to the end of the sentence.
Example: Ik kan vandaag niet komen.

In the perfect tense, Dutch uses a double infinitive instead of a past participle when a modal is followed by another verb. Crucially, in standard Dutch the auxiliary verb is hebben in this construction, even if the main verb would normally take zijn:
Example: Ik heb niet kunnen komen. (I haven't been able to come.)

However, if kunnen stands alone without another verb, use the past participle gekund:
Example: Ik heb het niet gekund. (I wasn't able to [do] it.)

4. Polite Requests and Uncertainty
To be more polite or to express uncertainty, you can use the conditional form zou kunnen (could/might):
Example: Zou u me kunnen helpen? (Could you help me?)

5. Usage Nuances

  • Ability: Physical or mental skill (e.g., Ik kan Nederlands spreken).
  • Proficiency: Kunnen can be used as a main verb to mean 'to know' or 'to be proficient in' a language or skill. Example: Ik kan Frans. (I know/can speak French).
  • Possibility: Whether something is feasible (e.g., Dat kan).
  • Permission: In casual Dutch, kunnen is used for permission, though mogen is the formal choice.

Examples (5)

  1. Ik kan heel goed koken.

    I can cook very well.

    Word by Word: I can very well cook.

    Demonstrates 'kunnen' expressing a physical ability/skill.

  2. Het kan morgen gaan regenen.

    It could rain tomorrow.

    Word by Word: It can tomorrow go rain.

    Demonstrates 'kunnen' expressing a possibility.

  3. Kun je mij even helpen?

    Can you help me for a moment?

    Word by Word: Can you me just help?

    Shows the inversion rule where the -t is dropped when 'je' follows the verb.

  4. Wij kunnen Nederlands spreken.

    We can speak Dutch.

    Word by Word: We can Dutch speak.

    Shows the plural conjugation 'kunnen' and the infinitive 'spreken' at the end.

  5. Dat kan ik niet doen.

    I cannot do that.

    Word by Word: That can I not do.

    Shows word order with negation 'niet' and the infinitive at the end.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding 'te' before the infinitive.

    Ik kan te zwemmen.
    Ik kan zwemmen.

    Modal verbs like 'kunnen' never take 'te' before the following verb. They use a bare infinitive.

  • Adding a -t to the third person singular.

    Hij kant goed voetballen.
    Hij kan goed voetballen.

    The third person singular of modal verbs (kan, wil, mag, zal) does not take a -t ending.

  • Keeping the -t in questions with 'jij'.

    Kunt je me helpen?
    Kun je me helpen?

    When 'jij' or 'je' follows the verb in a question, the -t ending must be dropped.

How It Connects

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

kunnenLevel 1Can/Be Able to

Learn This First

To learn 'kunnen', you need to be familiar with Dutch subject pronouns to apply the correct verb forms. Additionally, understanding the concept of a verb stem is helpful because 'kunnen' is an irregular modal verb where the singular forms differ significantly from the infinitive.

Words in This Pattern

kunnen