Können: Examples, Sentences and Quiz in German

Introduction

Können means “to be able to”, and it is one of the most useful verbs in German — you will meet it in conversation, in books, in films and in every textbook. This page puts the verb to work: twelve example sentences across the tenses, a short dialogue you can act out, a tour of the verb in its most important tenses, the mistakes learners make most often, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. Every form on this page comes from the verified conjugation tables for können, so you can trust what you read here. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then test yourself with the quiz at the end.

Example sentences

Twelve sentences with können, in different tenses and with different subjects. Read the German first, guess the meaning, then check the English.

  1. “Ich kann Deutsch sprechen.” — “I can speak German.”
  2. “Du kannst morgen kommen.” — “You can come tomorrow.”
  3. “Ich habe es gekonnt.” — “I have been able to do it.”
  4. “Er konnte Deutsch sprechen.” — “He could speak German.”
  5. “Wir werden es können.” — “We will be able to do it.”
  6. “Du hast es gekonnt.” — “You have been able to do it.”
  7. “Ich könnte Deutsch sprechen.” — “I would be able to speak German.”
  8. “Er könne morgen kommen.” — “He can come tomorrow.”
  9. “Wir hatten es gekonnt.” — “We had been able to do it.”
  10. “Er wird es können.” — “He will be able to do it.”
  11. “Sie können morgen kommen.” — “They can come tomorrow.”
  12. “Du kannst mir heute Abend helfen.” — “You can help me this evening.”

A short dialogue

Lena and Jonas are talking about speak German. Read the dialogue aloud, one voice per person, and notice how können changes with the tense and the subject. Every form of können below is taken from the verified tables.

Lena: “Kannst du Deutsch sprechen?” — “You can speak German?” Jonas: “Ich kann Deutsch sprechen.” — “I can speak German.” Lena: Und morgen? Jonas: “Ich werde es können.” — “I will be able to do it.” Lena: Und gestern? Jonas: “Ich habe es gekonnt.” — “I have been able to do it.” Lena: Und eines Tages? Jonas: “Ich könnte Deutsch sprechen.” — “I would be able to speak German.”

Notice how the dialogue moves through time: the present for what is happening now, the future for tomorrow, the Perfekt for yesterday, and Konjunktiv II for what someone would do one day. The verb stays the same — only the tense changes — and that is the whole point of learning a conjugation table: one verb, many moments.

Können in different tenses

The same verb does different jobs in different tenses. Here are the six uses of können that matter most, each with a sentence you can copy and adapt.

The present: habits and facts

In the present, können describes habits, facts and what is happening now. The ich form is kann: “Ich kann Deutsch sprechen.” — “I can speak German.”

The preterite: the past as a finished event

In the preterite, können describes one finished action in the past, the way a story tells it. The er form is konnte: “Er konnte morgen kommen.” — “He could come tomorrow.”

The Perfekt: finished actions

In the Perfekt, können reports one finished action in everyday speech, built with haben plus the participle gekonnt. The ich form is habe gekonnt: “Ich habe es gekonnt.” — “I have been able to do it.”

The future: what will happen

In the future, können talks about what will happen. The wir form is werden können: “Wir werden es können.” — “We will be able to do it.”

Konjunktiv II: what would happen

In Konjunktiv II, können talks about what would happen. Konjunktiv II doubles as the German conditional — there is no separate conditional tense. The du form is könntest: “Du könntest morgen kommen.” — “You would be able to come tomorrow.”

Konjunktiv I: reported speech

In reported speech, können appears in Konjunktiv I, reporting what someone else said. The er form is könne: “Er könne mir heute Abend helfen.” — “He can help me this evening.” Read it as a quotation — someone said this, and the sentence reports it.

Common mistakes

Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

✗ Wrong: “Ich können Deutsch sprechen.”

✓ Right: “Ich kann Deutsch sprechen.”

The infinitive können never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated form kann.

Using the wrong person’s form

✗ Wrong: “Du kann Deutsch sprechen.”

✓ Right: “Du kannst Deutsch sprechen.”

kann is the ich form. With du you need kannst. Check the subject before you choose the form.

Using the present for a finished past action

✗ Wrong: “Ich kann Deutsch sprechen gestern.”

✓ Right: “Ich habe es gekonnt.”

The time word gestern points to the past, so a finished action needs the Perfekt habe gekonnt, not the present.

Using the indicative in reported speech

✗ Wrong: “Ich kann Deutsch sprechen.” (quoted as reported speech)

✓ Right: “Ich könne Deutsch sprechen.” (quoted as reported speech)

In reported speech German uses Konjunktiv I: könne, not the indicative kann.

Forgetting the auxiliary in the Perfekt

✗ Wrong: “Ich gekonnt Deutsch sprechen.”

✓ Right: “Ich habe es gekonnt.”

The Perfekt of können needs the auxiliary haben plus the participle gekonnt: the full ich form is habe gekonnt.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on können. Choose the right answer, then check the answer key below.

  1. What is the ich form of können in the Present (Präsens)?

    • A) kann
    • B) kannst
    • C) können
    • D) könnt

  2. What is the du form of können in the Present (Präsens)?

    • A) könnt
    • B) kannst
    • C) kann
    • D) können

  3. What is the er/sie/es form of können in the Perfect (Perfekt)?

    • A) haben gekonnt
    • B) hat gekonnt
    • C) habe gekonnt
    • D) hast gekonnt

  4. What is the wir form of können in the Preterite (Präteritum)?

    • A) konnte
    • B) konntest
    • C) konntet
    • D) konnten

  5. What is the du form of können in the Future (Futur I)?

    • A) werde können
    • B) wird können
    • C) werden können
    • D) wirst können

  6. What is the ich form of können in the Konjunktiv II (conditional)?

    • A) könnten
    • B) könntet
    • C) könnte
    • D) könntest

  7. What is the er/sie/es form of können in the Konjunktiv I?

    • A) können
    • B) könnet
    • C) könne
    • D) könnest

  8. What is the ich form of können in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)?

    • A) hatte gekonnt
    • B) hattest gekonnt
    • C) hatten gekonnt
    • D) hattet gekonnt

  9. What is the past participle of können?

    • A) gesollt
    • B) gewollt
    • C) gekonnt
    • D) gemusst

  10. What does können mean in English?

  • A) to have to
  • B) should, to be supposed to
  • C) to want
  • D) to be able to

Answer key

  1. A) kann — the ich form of können in the Present (Präsens) is kann. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. B) kannst — the du form of können in the Present (Präsens) is kannst. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. B) hat gekonnt — the er/sie/es form of können in the Perfect (Perfekt) is hat gekonnt. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. D) konnten — the wir form of können in the Preterite (Präteritum) is konnten. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. D) wirst können — the du form of können in the Future (Futur I) is wirst können. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) könnte — the ich form of können in the Konjunktiv II (conditional) is könnte. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. C) könne — the er/sie/es form of können in the Konjunktiv I is könne. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) hatte gekonnt — the ich form of können in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is hatte gekonnt. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  9. C) gekonnt — the past participle of können is gekonnt. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
  10. D) to be able to — können means “to be able to” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.

Frequently asked questions

What does können mean in English?

können means “to be able to”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.

Is können regular or irregular?

können is irregular in these tenses: present, preterite, perfect, pluperfect, future, future-perfect, konjunktiv-1, konjunktiv-2, conditional-perfect, imperative, past-participle. The present participle is könnend and the past participle is gekonnt.

How do I practise können every day?

Say one sentence with können in the present, one in the Perfekt and one in the future every day, using the examples on this page as models — for example, “Ich kann Deutsch sprechen.”, “Ich habe es gekonnt.” and “Ich werde es können.”. Then take the quiz again and check your answers against the key.

Pronunciation

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for können, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

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