what is it?
German has three verbs where English uses "to knowwissen means to know a fact or piece of information; it almost always introduces a subordinate clause or an indirect question. kennen means to be familiar or acquainted with something or someone; it always takes a direct noun phrase as its object. können covers mastered abilities and skills — the equivalent of "to know how to do something". Mixing these three up is one of the most common errors at A2 level.
when to use it
wissen — use when the object of knowing is a fact, typically expressed as a dass-clause, an indirect question (introduced by wo, wer, was, wann, wie, …), or the pronoun es / das standing in for a clause. Example trigger: «Ich weiß, wo er wohnt.»
kennen — use when the object of knowing is a person, place, or thing that you are acquainted or familiar with. The object is always a noun phrase (with an article or pronoun). Example trigger: «Ich kenne diesen Film.»
können — use when the knowing is about a skill or ability you have learned and can perform. In this sense it is a modal verb and is followed by an infinitive. Example trigger: «Sie kann gut kochen.»
Quick test: replace the object with "a fact" → wissen; replace it with "a person/thing" → kennen; replace it with "an ability" → können.
formation
wissen is irregular in the singular present — its forms resemble a modal verb. kennen is a regular weak verb in the present tense. können is a modal verb with its own stem changes.
| pronoun | wissen | kennen | können |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | weiß | kenne | kann |
| du | weißt | kennst | kannst |
| er / sie / es | weiß | kennt | kann |
| wir | wissen | kennen | können |
| ihr | wisst | kennt | könnt |
| sie / Sie | wissen | kennen | können |
Notice that wissen and können share the same form for ich and er/sie/es (no ending in the singular). kennen follows the regular pattern: stem + -e, -st, -t, -en, -t, -en.
Sentence structure: wissen is followed by a subordinate clause (verb moves to the end). kennen is followed by a noun phrase in the accusative. können is a modal and sends its infinitive to the end of the clause.
examples in context
common pitfalls
kennen with a clause — kennen cannot introduce a subordinate clause. «*Ich kenne, wo er wohnt.» is wrong. Use wissen instead: «Ich weiß, wo er wohnt.» kennen always needs a noun phrase as its object.
wissen with a plain noun phrase — wissen cannot take a bare noun phrase as its direct object. «*Ich weiß den Film.» is wrong. Use kennen: «Ich kenne den Film.» The only noun-like objects wissen accepts are pronouns such as es or das that stand in for a whole clause.
wissen for skills — wissen does not express ability. «*Ich weiß kochen.» is wrong. Use können: «Ich kann kochen.» können is the only verb of the three that combines with an infinitive to express a skill.
A reliable rule: if you can follow the verb with a full clause (with a conjugated verb), use wissen. If you follow it with a noun phrase, use kennen. If you follow it with an infinitive expressing ability, use können.