Dutch Verb kunnen ('can,' 'to be able to') - Smartphones Page

Overview:
kunnen 'can,' to be able to, to be possible, to be allowed to

kunnen		'can,' 'to be able to'
ik kan		I can
wij kunnen		we can
ik kon		I could
wij konden		we could
ik heb gekund		I have been able to

'zullen' ->>

The Complete Conjugation

simple present tense
kunnen		'can,' 'to be able to'
ik kan		I can
jij kunt		you (singular, informal you) can
hij kan		he can
wij kunnen		we can
jullie kunnen		you (plural, informal you) can
zij kunnen		they can
U kunt		you (polite you) can

The Simple Past Tense:

(kunnen)		'can,' 'to be able to'
ik kon		I could, was able to
jij kon		you could, were able to
hij kon		he could, was able to
wij konden		we could, were able to
jullie konden		y'all could, were able to
zij konden		they could, were able to
U kon		you could, were able to

The Perfect Tense:
ik heb gekund I have been able to is very unusual. When in the perfect tense combined with other verbs, kunnen is not in the form of the past participle but as an infinitive:
ik heb kunnen ... I was able to ... Ik heb kunnen voorkomen ... 2 3 I was able to prevent ... (voorKOmen ‑>>) - more
auxiliary verb for the perfect tenses hebben

Three Meanings

'Can' / 'Kunnen' - to Be Able

Ik kan niet zien waar het lekt I can't see where it leaks, where the leak is Hoe kun je dat zien? 2 3 4 How can you see that? How can you tell?

Ik kan er niet meer tegen 2 3 I can't stand it anymore

Ik kan het niet meer bijhouden 2 I [can no longer] can't keep up (with it)

Ik kan niet heksen 2 3 [I cannot 'witch'] - I'm working as fast as I can

Het enige voorbeeld dat ik kan bedenken The only example I can think of Ik kan zo gauw geen voorbeeld bedenken 2 3 I cannot think of an example [that quickly] right away

Je kon heel ver zien [You could see very far] - Visibility was excellent Je kon niet ver zien [You couldn't see far] - Viz was low

Ik kon vannacht niet slapen Last night I couldn't sleep Ik kon gisteren niet slapen 2 Yesterday I couldn't sleep Ik kon gisteren niet inslapen Yesterday I had trouble falling asleep

Ik kan er helaas niet zelf bij zijn Unfortunately, I cannot [be there myself / in person] be present

Hij kan erg hard fietsen 2 [He can ride a bike very fast] - He is very fast on a bike
Toen ik z'n fiets optilde begreep ik hoe hij zo hard kon rijden 2 3 4 When I picked up his bike I understood how he was able to ride that fast

Ze konden het niet bewijzen 2 They could not prove it

Ik kon m'n oren niet geloven 2 3 'I couldn't believe my ears' - expression meaning 'hearing something totally unexpected and unbelievable'

Als blikken konden doden ... 2 If looks could kill ...

Ik kan 't niet verklaren 2 I can't explain (it) - I don't understand Ik kan 't niet uitleggen 2 I can't explain (it) - I can't tell you
Ik kan er niet bij 2 3 literally: 'I can't reach it, it's out of reach' - but usually meaning figuratively: 'I don't understand it' (people's behavior) Ik begrijp 't niet I don't understand (it) 't Gaat me boven de pet 2 It's over my head - I don't understand it (Maybe I am not intelligent enough?)

Je kunt wel zien uit welke hoek de wind waait 2 ['You can [see] tell from which direction the wind is blowing'] - expression meaning 'you can tell who or what is behind that'

Waarin een klein land groot kan zijn [In what a small country can be big] Big things a small country can do - said when Holland sets an example

Hij kan geen wijs houden 2 He cannot [hold] carry a tune

Wat kan ik voor U doen? 2 [What can I do for you?] - How can I help you?

Je kunt er op rekenen You can count (rely, depend) on it

We konden 't niet doen We were not able to do it, we failed We hebben 't niet kunnen doen 2 3 We have not been able to do it, we failed

Ik kan er niks aan doen [I can't do anything about it] - I can't help it --or-- It's not my fault Ik kan 't niet helpen I can't help it - I'm powerless to resist it

Kun je er wat aan doen? 2 3 Can you do something about it? Wat kun je d'r aan doen? 2 3 4 What can you do about it?

Kan iemand me vertellen ...? 2 3 Can someone tell me ...? // Is there anybody who can tell me ...?

Ik kan nog wel wàt 2 3 I can still do sòme things (but maybe not as much as before)

Dutch 'kunnen' as 'to be able' is sometimes translated by 'to do' in English:

Ik spreek geen Nederlands ... 2 I don't speak Dutch ... ... maar ik kan het wel verstaan ... but I [can] do understand it

Ik kan wel Nederlands verstaan 2
Ik kan Nederlands wel verstaan But I [can] do understand Dutch

Kan jij Deens verstaan? 2 3 Do you understand (spoken) Danish? Kun je Russisch lezen? 2 3 Do you read Russian? Do you understand written Russian?

Ik kan je niet verstaan 2 I don't understand (what you're saying) Ik kan het niet goed verstaan ['I don't understand it well ...'] - I have difficulty understanding (what is said) Ik begrijp niet wat U zegt 2 3 I don't understand what you mean, I don't understand the meaning of your words (polite 'you')

Ik kan me 't niet herinneren 2
Ik kan 't me niet herinneren I don't remember (it)

Hij kan nauwelijks nog lopen 2 He can barely walk anymore Hij kon nauwelijks nog lopen 2 He could barely walk anymore

In the next two 'kunnen' examples Dutch leaves out the 'doen,' but in a stand-alone sentence English usually can't ("Can we bring about change?" - "Yes we can")
Kun jij dat? 2
Kan jij dat? Can you do that? Are you able to do that? Do you have the skill?

Niet iedereen kan dat 2 3 4 5 Not everyone [is able to] can do that

Dat kan geen kwaad 2 3 ['That does no evil'] - That can't hurt (go ahead, try it)

Sometimes 'can/be able' is left out in English:

Dan kunnen we elkaar eindelijk echt ontmoeten 2 [Then we'll finally be able to meet in the real world] - Then we'll finally meet in the flesh

Ik kan me d'r zo kwaad over maken 2 [I can [make myself] get so angry about it] - actually meaning: 'It makes me very angry'

Toch konden ze goed samenwerken [Despite it all, they were able to work together well] - Still, they worked together well

Ik kan goed opschieten met Jan 2 3 I get on well with Jan

'Can' / 'Kunnen' - to Be Possible

't Kan vriezen en 't kan dooien 'It's possible that there will be a freeze and it's possible that there will be a thaw' -'It may freeze and it may thaw' - expression meaning things can go either way

Hoe kan dat? 2 How can that be? How is it possible? (I wonder) Hoe kan dat nou? 2 3 4 How can that be? How is it possible? (frustrated, exasperated, angry) Dat kan toch niet! 2 3 [That cannot be!] How can it be? It shouldn't be possible! Hoe kan 't gebeuren? 2 [How is it possible that things like that happen?] - How can it be? Hoe kan ik zo stom zijn? 2 3 How can I be that stupid? (anger about a mistake) Hoe kan ik zo dom zijn? 2 3 4 How can I be so stupid? How is such stupidity possible?
't Kan gebeuren 2 It can happen - Things like that happen Dat kan niet meer 2 3 That's no longer possible (that option is gone, that ship has sailed) // You can't do that anymore

't Kan niet ontkend worden 2 It cannot be denied (it's true)

Ik kan me voorstellen dat ... 2 3 4 I can imagine that ..., it's possible that ...

Hoe kan iemand zoiets doen? How can someone do a thing like that? How is it possible for someone to do something awful like that?

Je kunt zo-iemand niet serieus nemen 2 3 You can't take a person like that seriously

Je kunt 't ook zo doen 2 3 4
Zo kun je 't ook doen 2 3 You can also do it this way

Kan het zijn dat ik U ken? ['Could it be that I know you?'] - Have we met before? Slang: Ken 't zijn dat ik U kan?

't Kan wel waar zijn ... 2 [It is possible that that is true, but ...] - It may betrue, but ...

Waarom kan 't niet gemakkelijk zijn? 2 Why can't it be easy? Waarom moet 't zo moeilijk zijn? 2 Why does it have to be so difficult?

't Is niet fout ... 2 It's not wrong ... ... maar je kunt 't eenvoudiger zeggen 2 3 ... but [you can say it more simply] there's a simpler way to say it

't Kan ooit nog van pas komen 2 3 It could come in handy someday

Kan ik de afspraak verzetten? 2 Could I, is it possible to [move] reschedule the appointment?

Je kunt niet alles weten 2 You can't, it's not possible to know everything

Kun je op de fiets naar je werk? 2 Can you ride a bike to work?

Je kunt nergens beter Nederlands horen You can't hear better Dutch anywhere, it's not possible Ik kan me vergissen 2 (3 4) It's possible I'm mistaken, I may be wrong

Misschien kunnen we wel buiten zitten Maybe we can sit outside (the weather looks promising)

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

Je kunt door de bomen 't bos niet zien 2 3 (saying) You can't see the forest for the trees - focusing on details makes you lose sight of the big picture

Je kunt er niet omheen 2 3 ['You can't pass around it'] - expression meaning 'you can't ignore it, you'll have to deal with it'

Je kunt er geen touw aan vastknopen 2 ['You can't tie a rope to it'] - expression meaning 'it's impossible to understand' or 'it doesn't make sense'

Ik wilde dat ik harder kon schoppen I wish that I could kick harder (soccer)

De mens kan niet alleen van brood leven 2 Man cannot live by bread alone

Kun je ervan rondkomen? Can you get by on it? Is there enough money in it to live on?

Wie kun je nog vertrouwen? 2 3 Who can you still trust?

Kunnen we die mensen vertrouwen? Can we trust those people? Kun je ze vertrouwen? 2 Can you trust them?

Je kunt nooit helemaal zeker zijn 2 3 4 You can never be entirely certain, completely sure

Je kunt je d'r geen buil aan vallen
Daar kun je je geen buil aan vallen ['You cannot possbibly fall and get hurt from that'] - expressions meaning 'It's only small amount of money,' said to people worrying about a minor expense

Hoe kan 't gebeuren? 2 3 4 How can it happen? How is it possible that things like that happen? (lamenting too much bad luck)

't Kan ook nooit eens goed gaan 2 3 It just [can never] cannot ever go right

'Zou' 2 is the singular of the 'past tense' of the auxiliary verb for the future tense 'zullen' - used when speaking about hypothetical or speculative situations.

't Zou kunnen 2 It could be, It's possible 't Zou kunnen zijn 2 It could be, It's possible 't Zou kunnen zijn dat ... 2 It could be that ..., It's possible that ... Zou 't kunnen zijn dat ...? 2 Could it be that ...? Is it possible that ...? Wat zou 't kunnen zijn? 2 What could it be? Dat zou je ook kunnen doen 2 3 [You could do that] - That's something you could do Je kunt ook een blikje opentrekken 2 3 4 You could [rip open] open a can - you could use canned Zou U wat langzamer kunnen praten? 2 [Could you, would it be possible ...] - Would you mind speaking somewhat slower? Er is geen reden waarom hij niet zou kunnen winnen There is no reason why he couldn't win

'Had' is the singular of the past tense of the auxiliary verb for the perfect tense 'hebben' -- 'had kunnen' 2 is usually translated in English as 'could have' and the phrase 'had kunnen zijn' 2 -- 'could have been' -- usually refers to something that didn't happen, either a missed chance or a lucky escape.

Wat had kunnen zijn 2 What could have been

Ik had kunnen weten dat ... 2 I could have known that ... (regret at something I forgot to think of)

Ik had 't kunnen weten 2 3 I could have known [it] (I should have been aware, thought longer of it before) Dat had je kunnen weten 2 3 You could have known that - you should have thought of that

Ik had kunnen weten dat 't slecht zou aflopen 2 3 I could have known that it would end badly Dat kan niet goed gaan 2 ['That cannot go well'] - That's not going to end well

We hadden 't kunnen voorkomen 2 We could have prevented it

't Had erger kunnen zijn 2 3 4 It could have been worse
't Had zoveel mooier kunnen zijn 2 3 [It could have been so much more beautiful] - usually said when something disappoints or doesn't work out

Ik had gitaar kunnen leren spelen 2 I could have learned to play the guitar (instead of ...) Ik had kunnen leren programmeren 2 I could have learned programming (instead of ...)

't Is niet vies ... 2 3 It doesn't taste bad ... Maar 't had lekkerder kunnen zijn 2 But it could have been better (-tasting)

Polite requests and respectful questions are often started with 'Kun je' 2 3 or 'Kunt U' 2

Kunt U mij zeggen wanneer de laatste trein gaat? 2 3 4 Could you please tell me at what time the last train leaves?

Kun je me zeggen hoe laat het begint? 2 3 Could you tell me what time it starts? Do you know when it starts?

Kun je 't omschrijven? 2 Could you describe it? (They don't know the right word)

Kun je me om zeven uur wakker maken? 2 3 Could you wake me up at 7?

Kunt U dat nog eens zeggen? Would you mind saying that again?

Dutchmen often use the word mogelijk 2 (mogelijke ) 'possible' where English would use the verb 'can' - and when speaking English, Dutchmen often rather say 'possible' than use 'can.'

Hoe is 't mogelijk? 2 3 4 5 6 How is it possible? How can it be? (de) mogelijkheid 2 3 'possibility' mogelijkheden 2 3 possibilities onmogelijk 2 'impossible'
zo mogelijk 2 'if possible'
zo lang mogelijk 2 as long as possible zo spoedig mogelijk 2 as soon as possible zo weinig mogelijk 2 3 as little as possible met alle mogelijke middelen 2 with all possible means Als ongewenst kind vind ik dat abortus mogelijk moet zijn 2 3 [Being an ...] As an unwanted child I think abortion should be [possible] available 't Is haast onmogelijk 2 3 It's almost impossible Dat is haast niet te doen 2 3 That's almost impossible (to do) - it's going to be a very difficult job Dat is niet te doen 2 3 That can't be done, it's not possible to do that

'Can' / 'Kunnen' - to Be Allowed to

'May' / 'mogen' 2 ->>

Jullie kunnen wel Nederlands praten 2 3 It's OK for you to speak Dutch ("I can understand it, I won't feel shut out") - You could just as well say:
Jullie mogen wel Nederlands praten 2

Ik kan geen rundvlees eten 2 [I'm not allowed to] I can't eat beef (doctor's orders, religion etc.)

Dat kun je me niet aandoen! 2 3 You can't do that to me! (You're going to hurt my feelings)

We kunnen niet zo doorgaan 2 3 4 We can't [continue] go on like this - it's going wrong

Je kunt wel blijven eten 2 3 You can stay for dinner (or other meals)

Je kunt nog even blijven liggen 2 ['You can remain lying down for a moment'] - You may stay in bed a little longer Kon ik nog maar even blijven liggen! 2 3 I wish I could stay in bed just a little longer

Moet kunnen! 2 ['It ought to be possible'] - It should be possible, acceptable, it's not crazy

't Kan me niet schelen 2 standard expression meaning: I don't care
Het kan me geen zier schelen 2 3 I don't care at all, I don't care one whit

The perfect tense 'ik heb gekund' is rarely used, but you may find something similar in strings of infinitives with 'kunnen' after the auxiliary verb for the perfect tense 'hebben.'

Ik heb een paar jaar pianoles gehad ... I've had piano lessons for a few years ... ... maar ik had beter gitaar kunnen leren spelen ... but it would have been better to have learned to play the guitar

Compound Verbs with 'Kunnen'

Kun je het aan? 2 Are you up to it? iets aankunnen 2 3 to be able to deal with, manage something

Related Words

(de) kunst	art
(het) kunstwerk 2	work of art, piece of art
kunstenaar 2 3 artiest 2	artist
schilder 2	painter (house and art)
kunstschilder	painter (artist)
De Schilderkunst	'The Art of Painting' - (Vermeer)

(de) deskundige 2 (de) expert (French)

expert

Simon Stevin

(de) wiskunde	mathematics
(de) natuurkunde	physics
(de) scheikunde	chemistry >>
(de) sterrenkunde 2	astronomy
(de) plantkunde	botany
(de) aardrijkskunde	geography

(de) wetenschap	science
wetenschapper 2	scientist
natuurkundige fysicus 2	physicist
chemicus 2 scheikundige 2 3	chemist
wiskundige 2	mathematician
bioloog	biologist
geoloog	geologist
denker	thinker

(de) kunde 2 3 '(learned) skill' by itself is rarely used, just in this (expression)
een kunst en een kunde 2 an art and a (learned) skill
- some things are not just applying science

(de) geleerde 2 3 'learned' person, scholar, scientist (old-fashioned)
(het) geleerde 2 3 the material, knowledge and skill that was learned

(de) vaardigheid 2 3 skill, ability, competence

Compare with: 'mogen' - 'may,' 'be allowed to'

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