kunnen

can, to be able to

Dutch Irregular

The Dutch verb "kunnen" means "can, to be able to" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "kunnen" across all 6 tenses.

How to Conjugate "kunnen" in the Present Tense

Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
ik I kan
jij/je you (informal) kunt
hij/zij/het he/she/it kan
wij/we we kunnen
jullie you all kunnen
zij/ze they kunnen
Hij kan morgen niet komen.
He cannot come tomorrow.

How to Conjugate "kunnen" in the Simple Past Tense

Onvoltooid verleden tijd Completed actions in the past
Person English Conjugation
ik I kon
jij/je you (informal) kon
hij/zij/het he/she/it kon
wij/we we konden
jullie you all konden
zij/ze they konden
Hij kon heel goed piano spelen.
He could play the piano very well.

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How to Conjugate "kunnen" in the Present Perfect Tense

Voltooid tegenwoordige tijd Completed actions with present relevance
Person English Conjugation
ik I heb gekund
jij/je you (informal) hebt gekund
hij/zij/het he/she/it heeft gekund
wij/we we hebben gekund
jullie you all hebben gekund
zij/ze they hebben gekund
Hij heeft kunnen slapen.
He has been able to sleep.

How to Conjugate "kunnen" in the Past Perfect Tense

Voltooid verleden tijd Actions completed before another past action
Person English Conjugation
ik I had gekund
jij/je you (informal) had gekund
hij/zij/het he/she/it had gekund
wij/we we hadden gekund
jullie you all hadden gekund
zij/ze they hadden gekund
Hij had kunnen slapen.
He had been able to sleep.

How to Conjugate "kunnen" in the Future Tense

Onvoltooid tegenwoordige toekomende tijd Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
ik I zal kunnen
jij/je you (informal) zult kunnen
hij/zij/het he/she/it zal kunnen
wij/we we zullen kunnen
jullie you all zullen kunnen
zij/ze they zullen kunnen
Hij zal het kunnen doen.
He will be able to do it.

How to Conjugate "kunnen" in the Conditional Tense

Onvoltooid verleden toekomende tijd Hypothetical situations and polite requests
Person English Conjugation
ik I zou kunnen
jij/je you (informal) zou kunnen
hij/zij/het he/she/it zou kunnen
wij/we we zouden kunnen
jullie you all zouden kunnen
zij/ze they zouden kunnen
Hij zou kunnen helpen.
He would be able to help.

Frequently Asked Questions About "kunnen"

Is "kunnen" regular or irregular in Dutch?
"Kunnen" is an irregular Dutch verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "kunnen" mean in English?
The Dutch verb "kunnen" means "can, to be able to" in English.
How do you conjugate "kunnen" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd): ik → kan, jij/je → kunt, hij/zij/het → kan, wij/we → kunnen, jullie → kunnen, zij/ze → kunnen.
How many tenses does "kunnen" have in Dutch?
"Kunnen" is conjugated across 6 tenses in Dutch: Present, Simple Past, Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future, Conditional.

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