Dutch Word of the Day
kunnen
/KUN-nen/ • verb (modal) — 12th of Apr, 2026
Listen to pronunciation
Meaning: to be able to; can (expressing ability or possibility)
Examples
- Ik kan het morgen doen.
(I can do it tomorrow.) - Kun je me de route uitleggen?
(Can you explain the route to me?) - Zij kunnen goed zingen.
(They can sing well.)
Synonyms
- in staat zijn
- vermogen
Kunnen is a common modal verb used to talk about ability or possibility and to make requests. Conjugations include 'kan' (ik/het), 'kunt' (jij/u informal/formal), and 'kunnen' (wij/zij). In questions it often starts the sentence ('Kun je...?' = 'Can you...?'). When paired with another verb, the second verb stays in the infinitive at the end (e.g. 'Ik kan zwemmen' = 'I can swim').
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