Dutch Verbs weten and kennen ('to know') - Smartphones Page

Weten - to know things, to have knowledge of -
Weten is a strong verb, meaning it has a vowel change for the past tense - and weten also has a consonant change in the past tense

weten to know

- -

wist knew

- -

geweten known

2

weten		to know
ik weet		I know
wij weten		we know
ik wist		I knew
wij wisten		we knew
ik heb geweten		I have known
2

As a verb with a stem ending in T the singular forms of the simple present time are all the same

weten		to know (things)
ik weet		I know
jij weet		you know (singular, informal you)
hij weet		he knows
wij weten		we know
jullie weten		you know (plural, informal you)
zij weten		they know
U weet		you know (polite you)

(weten)		to know
ik wist		I knew
jij wist		you knew
hij wist		he knew
wij wisten		we knew
jullie wisten		y'all knew
zij wisten		they knew
U wist		you knew
2

ik heb geweten I have known
auxiliary verb hebben

'Weten:' to know (things) / to have knowledge of

Ik weet 't niet	I don't know (it)
Dat weet ik niet 2	I don't know (about) that
Dat wist ik niet 2	I didn't know that
Ik wist 't wel 2	I knew it!
Ik wil 't weten 2	I want to know (it)
Ze weten 't niet 2	They don't know [it]

Zoals je weet 2 3 4 5 6 As you know ..., like you know ... Je weet niet wat 't is 2 You don't know what it is

Ze weten niet wat ze doen 2 3 They don't know what they're doing (like in Luke 23:34)

Hoe weinig we weten 2 How little we know, our knowledge is limited

nieuwsgierig 2 3 curious, inquisitive, eager to know ‑>> willen weten 2 3 wanting to know Ik wil 't weten 2 I want to know [it] Wat wil je weten? What would you like to know? What do you need to know? Ik wil weten hoe 't afloopt 2 I want to know how it ends (a story, a movie etc.) Ik wil weten wat er gebeurd is 2 3 I want to know what happened Ik wil precies weten wat er gebeurd is 2 3 I want to know exactly what happened Ik wil weten wat er precies gebeurd is 2 3 I want to know what exactly happened Ik zou wel eens willen weten ... 2 I would like to know ... Dat zou ik ook wel eens willen weten 2 That's something I too would like to know ('sometime') Ik zou ook wel eens willen weten wat dat is 2 3 4 I also would like to know 'sometime' what that is Meten is weten 2 3 ['to measure is to know'] - measurements create, build knowledge - thank you, Gabriel

'Weten van' 2 usually refers to knowledge about a specific subject or familiarity with an event or incident
Hij weet veel van bijen 2 He knows much about bees (he's very knowledgeable) 't Is niet iets waar ik veel van weet 2 3 4 It's not something I know [much] a lot about Ik weet er niks van 2 I know nothing about it (either general knowledge or familiarity with an event or incident) Daar weet ik niks van 2 I know nothing about that (either general knowledge or familiarity with an event or incident) Ik weet er alles van 2 I know all about it (but I don't want to talk about it) - an unpleasant situation, not boasting about general knowledge Hij weet van niks He knows nothing about it, he has no idea Hij weet nergens van 2 3 He knows nothing about it Wat weet hij ervan? 2 3 slow What does he know about it? (implying: not much!) Hij weet er meer van 2 He knows more about it (an incident or an event - but he doesn't want to say) Hij weet overal van 2 He knows everything (about a certain case) Hij weet overal wat van 2 3 4 5 He knows something (a little) of everything (Renaissance person?) Usually, 'nergens' 2 means 'nowhere' ‑>> but in special situations it can come to mean 'nothing' ‑>>
Likewise, 'ergens' 2 which usually means 'somewhere' occasionally means 'something.' And 'overal' 2 usually means 'everywhere' but occasionally 'everything.' ‑>>

Ze weten niet van ophouden 2 3 4 (saying) ['They don't know about stopping'] - They go on an on, they never stop Hij weet niet van ophouden 2 3

Weet ik veel ["know I much"] - I don't know and I don't care Ik weet 't ook niet 2 3 I don't know it (either) - I'm sorry

Als je dat maar weet 2 3 [If only you know that - Be sure to know that] - Keep that in mind

Wie weet er nog een mop? [Who knows another joke?] - Who has a joke to tell? Wie weet er nòg een mop? 2 [Who knows another joke?] - Who has another joke to tell? (people have been cracking jokes for a while) - see also Disambiguation: Nog

Ik weet niet wat ik moet doen 2 I don't know what I should do, I don't know what to do

Weet jij wie hij is? Do you know who he is? Ik weet niet wie hij is I don't know who he is Ik weet niet wie het geweest kan zijn 2 I don't know who it could have been Ik weet niet wat het geweest kan zijn 2 I don't know what it could have been

Ik weet niet wat de oorzaak is I don't know what the cause is, I don't know what's causing it Ik weet niet wat de reden is I don't know what the reason for it is, I don't know what's causing it oorzaak en gevolg 2 3 cause and effect

Ik weet niet wat er van waar is 2 I don't know [what] how much of it is true Ik weet niet of dat zo is 2 I don't know, I'm not sure that it is like that Ik weet niet of dat echt zo is I don't know if it's really like that, I doubt that it's true

Weet jij? 2	Do you know?
Weet je? 2	Do you know?

Weet jij waar de sleutel is? 2 Do you know where the key is? - Are you the one who knows? Weet je waar de sleutel is? Do you know where the key is? - Do you happen to know? ('Jij' is more pointed at a certain person; 'je' is a more general inquiry)

Weet je wat? 2 ["Do you know something?"] - Let me tell you something

Weet jij hoe je het moet zeggen? Do you know how to say it? Do you have the correct wording? Weet je hoe je 't moet uitspreken? 2 Do you know how to pronounce it?

Wie weet de weg? Who knows the way? (to get us where we want to go)

Weet jij hoe laat het is? 2 Do you know [how late it is] what time it is? Do you have the time?

Hij weet waar-(d)ie 't over heeft 2 He knows what he's talking about (he's an expert)
(a D may be inserted for ease of pronunciation) Hij weet niet waar-die het over heeft 2 3 He doesn't know what he's talking about - he's talking nonsense - he knows very little about the subject or he is completely wrong about it Je kunt niet alles weten 2 [You cannot know everything] - It's impossible to know everything

Dat had je kunnen weten 2 3 You could have known that - you should have thought of that

Hij weet niet waar-die aan begint 2 3 4 He doesn't know what he's [starting with] getting into

Ik weet 't zeker 2 3 I know for sure, I'm certain Ik wist zeker dat U me zou begrijpen 2 3 I was sure you would undersatnd me

Wie 't weet mag 't zeggen 2 Those who know may speak up - sometimes it's answering a rhetorical question and it means "it's anybody's guess"

Wie weet? 2 3 Who knows? - Usually this means 'something unexpected may happen or be the explanation'

Dan weet je dat voor de volgende keer 2 3 Then you know [that for] the next time Dan weet je dat voor eens en altijd 2 3 Then you'll know (that) once and for all (you won't forget it)

Ik weet 't eigenlijk niet 2 3 4 I actually don't know, I'm not sure

Voordat je 't weet 2 3 'Before you know it' - quickly, very soon

Weet je al wanneer? 2 Do you already know when? Weet je al wanneer 't gaat gebeuren? 2 3 Do you know already when it's going to happen? (a big event like major surgery or a move)

Weten 'waar je aan toe bent' 2 3 to know "where you stand," what to expect Dan weet je waar je aan toe bent 2 Then you'll know 'where you stand,' what to expect

Zelfs als hij geweten had dat het zou gaan regenen ... 2 Even if he had known that it was going to rain ...

Goed om te weten 2 3 Good to know (useful information or knowledge)

Ik dacht te weten ... 2 I thought [to know] I knew ...

Ik wil weten hoe 't afloopt 2 I want to know how it ends (a story, a movie) Ik had kunnen weten dat 't slecht zou aflopen 2 3 I could have known it would end badly

Ik wil weten wat er gebeurd is 2 3 I want to know what happened Ik wil precies weten wat er gebeurd is 2 3 I want to know exactly what happened Ik wil weten wat er precies gebeurd is 2 3 I want to know what exactly happened

Ik moet toch weten wat er gebeurt in de wereld 2 3 I [have to] want to know what's going on in the world (following the news)

Je zou beter moeten weten 2 You should know better, You should have known better (Are you ignorant? I'm disappointed in you)

te weten komen 2 3 ['to come to know'] - to find out Hoe ben je dat te weten gekomen? 2 3 4 How did you come to know that? How did you find (that) out?

van wanten weten 2 (expression) being able to deal with all kinds of situations

Usually, wanten are 'mitts'

tegen beter weten in 2 3 going against better judgement te weten ... 2 to wit ... (further specifying) You can also say: namelijk ...
willens en wetens 2 deliberately and knowingly

"Je moet het zelf weten" 2 3 literally: 'you must know it yourself' - it is said when you tell someone about possible outcomes, give options: "But is is your choice, your decision." It indicates that the speaker expects the advice will be ignored

(de) betweter 2 3 'know-better,' know-it-all Weg met betweters! 2 3 4 Away with know-betters! Kick out the know-it-alls!

Occasionally, 'weten' can mean 'being able to,' when success was unexpected or required great effort; in this meaning often in the simple past tense

Hij wist 't te vinden 2 3 He was able to find it Hij wist te ontsnappen 2 3 He was able to escape Hij wist zich te beheersen 2 3 4 He was able to control himself, he kept his temper (he didn't become emotional, he did not react in anger)

('Weten') - Related and Similar Words

wijs (wijze 2 wijs/wijze 2) 'wise,' having or showing experience, knowledge and good judgement - it may be a related word

(de) wijsheid 2 3 'wisdom'
Door schade en schande wijs geworden 2 3 'Wisdom gained, educated by, damage and shame' - the school of hard knocks (de) wijsneus 2 a person who thinks he's wise and intelligent (but who is not) wijze woorden [wise words] - words of wisdom wijze oude mannen 2 wise old men ('village elders') Ouder, maar niet wijzer Older, but not wiser 1990s teenagers had a phrase: "onwijs gaaf" 2 [`unwisely, imprudently, ~irresponsibly perfect'] - 'too cool'

dwaas (dwaze 2 dwaas/dwaze 2 3) foolish (de) dwaas fool
(de) beroepsverdwazing 2 'occupational mind-clouding,' a narrow-minded, distorted outlook, everything is seen as related to the job

naïef 2 (naïef / naïeve 2 3) naive, naïve: showing lack of experience, wisdom or judgement // innocent, natural, unaffected

Wijzen 2 'wise men (people)' - also: to point (at) - a strong verb: (wijzen/wees/gewezen 2)

(de) wijsvinger [pointing finger] - 'index finger' (de) wegwijzer road (direction) sign Het wijst zich vanzelf 2 It will be obvious, you'll quickly see how (No need for instructions or a manual) Ik heb je er al vaak op gewezen 2 3 4 I have already pointed it out to you [so often] many times

(de) wijs - more often as (het) wijsje is also a (short, simple) 'tune, song, melody' ‑>>
Hij kan geen wijs houden 2 He cannot carry a tune

In Dutch grammar, we find (de) wijs as something like 'mode'
(de) onbepaalde wijs ['indefinite mode'] - (verb) infinitive (de) gebiedende wijs 2 3 ['command mode'] - the imperative ‑>> It's an alternate form of (de) wijze 2 ('manner, way of doing, mode, ~method')

You may also find -wijs at the end of words, like in (het) onderwijs 'education' - see Education in Holland

and in (het) bewijs 2 'proof, evidence'
Er is geen bewijs 2 3 There is no proof Er is geen enkel bewijs 2 There is not any proof, not a shred of evidence Er is overigens nooit bewijs gevonden 2 By the way, proof has never been found ... omdat er geen bewijs is 2 3 ... because there is no proof ‑>> Ze konden het niet bewijzen 2 They couldn't, they were not able to prove it

(het) rijbewijs 2 3 driver's license
Hij is z'n rijbewijs voorgoed kwijt 2 3 4 He lost his driver's license 'for good,' it was suspended indefinitely - more traffic

eigenwijs 2 self-willed, ~contrary
also: koppig 2 stubborn
spelenderwijs 2 3 [like play] without effort

See also (het) verstand 'understanding:' - 'mind, intellect, brains' ‑>>

(het) geweten 'conscience'
(de) gewetensvrijheid 'freedom of conscience' - meaning the freedom to leave or change your religion - (de) godsdienstvrijheid 'freedom of religion' meaning 'freedom to worship'

(De) wet 'law' (plural: wetten 'laws') is probably not a related word ‑>>
de letter van de wet 2 'the precise wording of the law, a literal reading of the law' wettelijke aansprakelijkheid 2 'legal liability'
Moeders wil is wet 2 A mother's wishes are the law of the house

The strong verb wijten (wijten/weet/geweten ) - usually with aan 'on' - wijten aan 2 3 - means 'to blame, to see as the cause of.' Its past tense is identical to the present tense of weten: so for instance wij weten 2 can mean either 'we know' or 'we blamed'
Wij weten 't aan 't weer we blamed [it on] the weather The derived strong verb verwijten 2 3 (verwijten/verweet/verweten ) means 'to reproach, address blame to a person' with (a) (het) verwijt 2 ('reproach, recrimination')

See also: (het) idee 'idea' and (de) gedachte 'thought, idea'

Kennen - to know (people) /or/ to be familiar with

kennen		to know (people)
ik ken		I know
wij kennen		we know
ik kende		I knew
wij kenden		we knew
ik heb gekend		I have known

kennen		to know (people)
ik ken		I know
jij kent		you know (singular, informal you)
hij kent		he knows
wij kennen		we know
jullie kennen		you know (plural, informal you)
zij kennen		they know
U kent		you know (polite you)

(kennen)		to know (people)
ik kende		I knew
jij kende		you knew
hij kende		he knew
wij kenden		we knew
jullie kenden		y'all knew
zij kenden		they knew
U kende		you knew

'Kennen' - Sample Sentences

Ken jij ...? Do you know ...? (people) Ik ken 'm niet 2 I don't know him; I don't know who he is Ik kende die mensen goed 2 I knew those people well Ze kenden hem goed They knew him well Hij kent z'n Pappenheimers 2 'He knows the people he's dealing with'
Stoett (Dutch Sayings) says the saying comes from the German author Schiller and refers to a regiment of soldiers from a count named Pappenheim We kennen onze buren niet goed 2 3 [We don't know our neighbors well] - We hardly know our neighbors Heb je Piet nog gekend? [Have you still known Piet?] Did you ever meet Piet? (he has passed or moved away) Ik heb hem nauwelijks gekend 2 3 I barely knew him Ik ken haar van de Nederlandse les 2 3 4 I know her from Dutch lessons Ik ken hem uit m'n studententijd 2 I know him from my student days (college or university) Mezelf kennende ... 2 Knowing myself ... (my weaknesses)

Ik leerde hem kennen in het leger 2 3
Ik heb hem leren kennen in het leger 2 3 (4) I came to know him in the army (I first met him when I was in the army)
(In Dutch, there's not much difference between the simple past and the present perfect tense)

A very polite way to ask if you have met someone before is:
Kan het zijn dat ik U ken?
['Could it be that I know you?'] - 'Have we met before?' If you're brave you could in jest try the 'uneducated' version:
Ken 't zijn dat ik U kan? (A and E are switched)

'To know of,' to be familiar with, to recognize:

Ik ken dat woord niet I don't know that word, I don't know what it means Ik ken de wet 2 3 I know the law (usually knowing a specific piece of law)

If you would happen to know someone by the name of 'De Wet' you can also say:
Ik ken De Wet 2 3 I know De Wet Generaal De Wet 2 19th Century South-African military leader 'Alles sal reg kom' 'Everything will turn out OK'

'Little words' in Dutch last names like 'van' 2 and 'de' are written with an undercase first letter after a first name or an initial, but with a capital first letter in all other cases. If there are two or more 'little words' only the first gets an uppercase letter.
Christiaan de Wet 2 3
- more

Ik ken de situatie 2 I know the situation (the circumstances, what's going on)

Ik ken de regels ... 2 I know the rules ... -or- Ik weet wat de regels zijn ... 2 3 I know what the rules are ... ... maar ik heb er moeite mee ... 2 3 4 ... but I have difficulty ... ... ze toe te passen 2 3 ... applying them -or- ... ze in de praktijk te brengen 2 ... putting them into practice, applying them

Gezelligheid kent geen tijd 'Time flies when you're having a good time with friends'

Wat de boer niet kent dat lust-ie niet 2 3 4 ['What the peasant doesn't know he doesn't like'] - 'The peasant doesn't like the unfamiliar' - commenting on a reluctance to even taste unfamiliar food

"Aan de vruchten kent men de boom" 2 'By its fruit the tree is known' (Proverbs 9:17)

('Kennen') - Related and Compound Words

Bekende Nederlander 2 3 (BN-er 2 3) [well-known Dutchman] - Dutch celebrity

Zo'n bekend gezicht! 2 Such a familiar face (someone looking familiar) - do we know him or her? Do we know who he or she is?

Ik ben er niet bekend 2 3 I'm not familiar there (in that area) - I don't know my way around there Er is mij niets van bekend 2 I know nothing about it (usually about an event or incident, not about general or scientific knowledge) Je komt me zo bekend voor 2 3 You look (so) familiar - have we met before, do I know you?

onbekend 2 'unknown, unidentified'
onbekend insect 'unknown (unidentified) insect' De onbekende soldaat 2 The unknown soldier

(de) kenner 2 3 connoisseur, expert (taste, people)

bekennen 2 'to confess'
De verdachte heeft bekend 2 3 The suspect has confessed ‑>> - 2 - 3 Beken! 2 3 'Confess!'
(de) bekentenis (criminal) confession
(de) biecht (catholic church) confession

ontkennen 2 'to deny, to say it isn't true'
Hij ontkende de beschuldigingen 2 He denied the accusations 't Kan niet ontkend worden 2 It cannot be denied

herkennen 'to recognize'
Ik herkende hem aan z'n stem 2 I recognized him by his voice

(de) erkenning 2 'recognition'

(de) verkenner 'scout'
De verkenner vertelde de kolonel snel wat hij gezien had 2 The scout quickly told the colonel what he'd seen

(De) kennis 'knowledge' - also: 'acquaintance'
(plural: kennissen 2 'acquaintances' - not great friends but people you meet with from time to time)

de dorst naar kennis 'the thirst for knowledge'

kenmerken 'characteristics' - signs to recognize something by, things that mark something as

(het) teken 2 'sign' may be a related word.
(het) voorteken [pre-sign] omen ->>
tekenen 2 'to draw, make a drawing'

ik teken I'm drawing

tekenen		to draw
ik teken		I draw
ik tekende		I drew
ik heb getekend		I have drawn

(de) tekening 2 'drawing, pen or pencil picture'
(de) handtekening 2 'signature' (John Hancock)

(de) schets 2 / (het) schetsje sketch, rough drawing, draft, (idea) schetsen 2 - to sketch
Not to be confused with:
(de) scherts 2 - jest, something humorous, not serious
schertsen - to jest, to joke
and (het) sketchje 2 'a short comedy piece, skit'

(het) kenteken 2 distinguishing mark // (car) license number

The most common derivative of 'teken' 2 is betekenen 'to mean' - the meaning of a word, signal or code, or the consequences or results of an action or situation. 'To mean' can also mean 'have as its goal or intention,' which is bedoelen 2 in Dutch - see below
It looks like 'betekenen' is about 'things' or 'it/that/what' while bedoelen is about people.
Betekenen and bedoelen are 'weak' verbs

Wat betekent ...? 2 3	What does ... mean?
Wat betekent het? 2	What does it mean?
Het betekent ...	It means ...
Het betekent dat ... 2	It means that ...

Wat betekent dat woord? 2 3 4 What does that word mean?

Het betekent heel iets anders 2 It means something completely different

Een lage olieprijs betekent minder elektrische auto's 2 A low oil price means fewer electric cars

Veel vraag en weinig aanbod betekent hoge prijzen 2 [Much] High demand and [little] low supply means high prices

Je weet hoe veel 't voor 'm betekent You know how much it means to him

(de) betekenis 2 'meaning'
De oorspronkelijke betekenis 2 3 The original meaning

'Bedoelen' 2 is another Dutch word for 'to mean' - when it means 'to have as its aim or intention, to intend'
from: (het) doel ('goal, aim, target')
De bal wordt in het doel geschoten 2 The ball is [shot] kicked into the goal

Wat bedoel je? 2 3 What do you mean? Hoe bedoel je? 2 3 [How] What do you mean? Wat bedoel je daarmee? 2 What do you mean by that?

Hij bedoelt 't goed 2 He means [it] well, his intentions are good

Ik begrijp niet wat je bedoelt 2 I don't understand what you mean Ik begrijp wat je bedoelt 2 I understand what you mean, I see what you mean Begrijp je wat ik bedoel? 2 Do you understand what I mean? Dat was niet wat ik bedoelde That was not what I meant

'(De) bedoeling' 2 ('purpose, intention, aim')

Dat is niet de bedoeling 2 3 That's not what I had in mind; that's not what it's for Dat was niet de bedoeling 2 That was not what I had in mind, that was not the intention, that was not supposed to happen

English 'mean' as 'unkind, unpleasant, unfair' is gemeen 2 (gemene ) - though the word is related to 'common' and in some compound words means something like 'shared'

(de) gemeente 2	'city,' municipality
de gemeenteraad 2	the City Council
(de) gemeenschap 2	community, society

Dutch 'menen' 2 is from the same root as 'to mean' but it has come to mean 'be serious, take as a fact'

Dat meen je niet! 2 3 You can't be serious!

Je kunt zo-iemand niet serieus nemen 2 3 You can't take someone like that seriously (Is he for real?)

(De) mening opinion
- plural: meningen 2 opinions ‑>>
(De) vrijheid van meningsuiting 2 [freedom of opinion-expression] - Freedom of speech De meningen zijn verdeeld 2 3 [The] Opinions are divided

How Do We Know?

ergens achter komen 2 [to come, get behind something] - to find out something ‑>> Hoe ben je erachter gekomen? 2 How did you find [it] out? Ik kwam er te laat achter 2
Ik ben er te laat achter gekomen 2 I found out [about it] too late

te weten komen 2 3 ['to come to know'] - to find out Hoe ben je dat te weten gekomen? 2 3 4 How did you come to know that? How did you find (that) out?

See also: The Senses ('Information In')

ontmoeten 2 to meet
ontmoeten		to meet
ik ontmoet		I'm meeting
ik ontmoette		I met
ik heb ontmoet		I have met
2 3

elkaar ontmoeten 2 3 ('to meet [each other]' - people)
(de) ontmoeting 2 encounter, meeting

Ze ontmoetten elkaar op een feestje 2 3 They met [each other] at a party

Dan kunnen we elkaar eindelijk echt ontmoeten 2 Then we'll finally really meet [each other] (face to face, 'in the flesh')
See also: bij elkaar komen 2
to get together, to meet ‑>>

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