kennen
Meaning and Usage
"Kennen" in German means "to know" in the sense of being acquainted with a person, a place, or a thing. It is used to express familiarity or recognition of something or someone.
Linguistic Analysis
"Kennen" is an infinitive form of the verb. It is a regular verb and doesn't contain a prefix. The word has its origins in Middle High German and Old High German.
Comparisons between German and English
The English equivalent of "kennen" is "to know" in the sense of being familiar with something or someone. However, it is important to note that the German language has two different verbs for "to know:" "kennen" for familiarity with people, places, or things, and "wissen" for knowledge or information.
Cultural Context
In German culture, the distinction between "kennen" and "wissen" is important and is used in everyday conversations to differentiate between acquaintance/familiarity and knowledge/information.
Example Sentences
- Ich kenne diesen Ort sehr gut. (I know this place very well.)
- Sie kennt meinen Bruder seit Jahren. (She has known my brother for years.)
Memory Tips
Associate "kennen" with the phrase "I can" to help remember its meaning and usage, as in, "I can know" or "I can be acquainted with."
Additional Vocabulary
- Wissen (to know, to have knowledge)
- Bekannt (known, familiar)
- Unbekannt (unknown, unfamiliar)
Gender and Plural (for nouns)
N/A (kennen is a verb)
Conjugation (for verbs)
- Ich kenne (I know)
- Du kennst (You know)
- Er/Sie/Es kennt (He/She/It knows)
- Wir kennen (We know)
- Ihr kennt (You know, plural)
- Sie kennen (They know)