How to Say ‘Know’ in German Using Kennen, Wissen and Können

The two main German verbs that mean “to know” are kennen and wissen. A third verb, können, is a modal verb that usually means “to be able” or “can” — but in certain situations can also mean “to know”. Here are three different “know” examples, with three different German verbs, that translate into English “know” sentences.

Ich weiß Bescheid.
I know about it.
Wir kennen ihn nicht.
We don’t know him.
Er kann Deutsch.
He knows German.

Each example above represents a different meaning of “know.” In fact, in many other languages (including French, German, Italian and Spanish), unlike English, there are usually two different verbs used to express English “know.” These other languages have one verb that means “to know a person” or “to be acquainted with” (a person or something), and another verb that means “to know a fact” or “to know about something.”

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN KENNEN, WISSEN AND KÖNNEN

.In German, kennen means “to know, be familiar with” and wissen means “to know a fact, know when/how.” German-speakers always know (wissen) when to use which one. If they are talking about knowing a person or being familar with something, they will use kennen. If they are talking about knowing a fact or knowing when something will happen, they’ll use wissen.