könen

See also: konen and können

Low German

Etymology

From Middle Low German kȫnen, alternative form of künnen, from Old Saxon kunnan. Compare Low German kunnen, German können, English can, Danish kunne.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkøːnən/

Verb

könen (third-person singular simple present kann, past tense kunn, past participle kunnt, auxiliary verb hebben)

1. (auxiliary, modal) can, to be able to

   He kann goot rennen, wieldat he en professionelle Sportmann weer.

   He can run well, because he was a professional sportsman.

2. to be able to do

   Ik kann dat nich.

   I am not able to do that.

3. to know or be able

   Wi köönt all Engelsch un Hoochdüütsch.

   We can all speak English and High German.

Usage notes

• This verb can also appear as künnen or können in different dialects, the former being more often encountered than the latter.
• Singular forms of könen are identical stems with a change of vowel (öö becoming a), plural forms of könen are conjugated in the way regular Low German verbs are conjugated, and the past tense is conjugated in an irregular manner with the same vowel through the line. In its conjugation this verb shows similarities with mögen and schölen, and is more distantly related to the German and Dutch variants of this verb: können and kunnen.
• The old subjunctive II form künn is sometimes used with the meaning "could".

Conjugation

Conjugation of könen (preterite-present)

infinitive	könen
indicative	present	preterite
1st person singular	kann	kunn
2nd person singular	kannst	kunnst
3rd person singular	kann	kunn
plural	köönt	kunnen
imperative	present	—
singular	—
plural	—
participle	present	past
	könen	kunnt
Note: This conjugation is one of many; neither its grammar nor spelling apply to all dialects.

Derived terms

• Kunst

Swedish

Noun

könen

1. definite plural of kön

Anagrams

• öknen