Können Conjugation in German
können means “to be able to” in English, and it is one of the first verbs German learners meet — it sits at number 4 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for German verbs. You will meet it in everyday sentences such as “Ich kann Deutsch sprechen.” — “I can speak German.” — and because it comes up in everyday conversation so often, learning its forms properly pays off from the very first week. This page gives you the complete conjugation of können — every tense, every person, the present participle and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: können
- English: to be able to
- Verb type: Irregular
- Irregular in: present, preterite, perfect, pluperfect, future, future-perfect, konjunktiv-1, konjunktiv-2, conditional-perfect, imperative, past-participle
- Present participle (Partizip I): könnend
- Past participle (Partizip II): gekonnt
- Auxiliary: haben (all perfect tenses are formed with haben + the past participle)
- Pattern: weak in the verified tables
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. Learn the spelling of the forms first, and listen to a native speaker for the sounds rather than trusting an invented transcription. The forms below are the ones that matter: once you can read können in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about können
- It is irregular in 11 tense(s): present, preterite, perfect, pluperfect, future, future-perfect, konjunktiv-1, konjunktiv-2, conditional-perfect, imperative, past-participle. Learn those forms as a set rather than guessing them from the infinitive, because the regular pattern will not produce them.
- The perfect tenses use haben: the Perfekt is formed with haben in the present plus the past participle gekonnt. The tables on this page give the participle in the form exactly as it appears in the verified dump; the participle itself does not change for person, only the auxiliary does.
- The participles are könnend and gekonnt: keep both in mind as you read the tables, because the present participle appears as an adjective and the past participle appears in every perfect tense. If you know those two forms and the present tense, you already know the skeleton of the whole conjugation.
- Modal verbs have no du-imperative: the verified tables give no du form for können — the du cell is marked with a dash — so do not invent one. To give an instruction, use the present tense instead, for example “Du kannst Deutsch sprechen.”
- Ersatzinfinitiv in the perfect: when können stands with another verb in a perfect tense, the infinitive replaces the past participle — the Ersatzinfinitiv. The table below gives the main-verb perfect habe gekonnt, but with a dependent infinitive you say “Ich habe Deutsch sprechen können.” — “I have been able to speak German.” This is a usage note, not a separate tense: the participle gekonnt is still the form the table lists.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for können. Learn the present tense first, then the Perfekt and the preterite, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present (Präsens)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | kann |
| du | kannst |
| er/sie/es | kann |
| wir | können |
| ihr | könnt |
| sie/Sie | können |
The present (Präsens) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With können this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Ich kann morgen kommen.” — “I can come tomorrow.”
Preterite (Präteritum)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | konnte |
| du | konntest |
| er/sie/es | konnte |
| wir | konnten |
| ihr | konntet |
| sie/Sie | konnten |
The preterite (Präteritum) is used for completed actions in the past, mostly in written German and in stories. With können this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Du konntest morgen kommen.” — “You could come tomorrow.”
Perfect (Perfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | habe gekonnt |
| du | hast gekonnt |
| er/sie/es | hat gekonnt |
| wir | haben gekonnt |
| ihr | habt gekonnt |
| sie/Sie | haben gekonnt |
The perfect (Perfekt) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken German. The table gives the main-verb perfect, built with haben plus the participle gekonnt. When können stands with a dependent infinitive, the Ersatzinfinitiv replaces the participle: “Ich habe Deutsch sprechen können.” — “I have been able to speak German.” For example, the ich form in the table is habe gekonnt.
Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | hatte gekonnt |
| du | hattest gekonnt |
| er/sie/es | hatte gekonnt |
| wir | hatten gekonnt |
| ihr | hattet gekonnt |
| sie/Sie | hatten gekonnt |
The pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is used for an action completed before another past action. With können this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Ich hatte es gekonnt.” — “I had been able to do it.”
Future (Futur I)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde können |
| du | wirst können |
| er/sie/es | wird können |
| wir | werden können |
| ihr | werdet können |
| sie/Sie | werden können |
The future (Futur I) is used for what will happen, for predictions and for intentions. With können this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Ich werde es können.” — “I will be able to do it.”
Future perfect (Futur II)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde gekonnt haben |
| du | wirst gekonnt haben |
| er/sie/es | wird gekonnt haben |
| wir | werden gekonnt haben |
| ihr | werdet gekonnt haben |
| sie/Sie | werden gekonnt haben |
The future perfect (Futur II) is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. With können this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Du wirst es gekonnt haben.” — “You will have been able to do it.”
Konjunktiv I
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | könne |
| du | könnest |
| er/sie/es | könne |
| wir | können |
| ihr | könnet |
| sie/Sie | können |
Konjunktiv I is used for reported speech — reporting what someone else said — and in formal written German. With können this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Er könne morgen kommen.” — “He can come tomorrow.”
Konjunktiv II (conditional)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | könnte |
| du | könntest |
| er/sie/es | könnte |
| wir | könnten |
| ihr | könntet |
| sie/Sie | könnten |
Konjunktiv II is used for hypothetical situations, wishes and polite requests. It doubles as the German conditional: there is no separate conditional tense, and the periphrastic alternative with würde + infinitive is not an engine tense. With können this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Ich könnte morgen kommen.” — “I would be able to come tomorrow.”
Conditional perfect (Konjunktiv II + participle)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | hätte gekonnt |
| du | hättest gekonnt |
| er/sie/es | hätte gekonnt |
| wir | hätten gekonnt |
| ihr | hättet gekonnt |
| sie/Sie | hätten gekonnt |
The conditional perfect (Konjunktiv II + past participle) is used for what would have happened in a different past. With können this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Er hätte es gekonnt.” — “He would have been able to do it.”
Imperative (Imperativ)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| du | — |
| wir | können |
| ihr | könnt |
| sie/Sie | können |
The imperative (Imperativ) is used for direct commands, requests and instructions. The verified tables give no imperative form for können in the du person — the cell is marked with a dash — because modal verbs have no du-imperative in the dump. Do not invent one: to give an instruction with können, German speakers use the present tense instead, for example “Du kannst Deutsch sprechen.” — “You can speak German.” The wir, ihr and sie forms in the table are given exactly as the dump lists them.
Present participle (Partizip I)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Present participle (Partizip I) | könnend |
The present participle (Partizip I) is used as an adjective or adverb, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle könnend is used to describe something that is happening at the same time as the main action, much like an English -ing adjective.
Past participle (Partizip II)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Past participle (Partizip II) | gekonnt |
The past participle (Partizip II) is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Ich habe es gekonnt.” — “I have been able to do it.”
Infinitive (Infinitiv)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | können |
The infinitive is the dictionary form of the verb, used after modal verbs and other verbs that take an infinitive. The infinitive is the dictionary form of the verb: it is the form you look up, and the form that follows modal verbs and other verbs that take an infinitive.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with können, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the German and try to produce it from the English.
- “Ich kann Deutsch sprechen.” — “I can speak German.”
- “Du konntest morgen kommen.” — “You could come tomorrow.”
- “Er hat es gekonnt.” — “He has been able to do it.”
- “Ich werde es können.” — “I will be able to do it.”
- “Du könntest morgen kommen.” — “You would be able to come tomorrow.”
- “Ich hatte es gekonnt.” — “I had been able to do it.”
- “Du wirst es gekonnt haben.” — “You will have been able to do it.”
- “Er könne mir heute Abend helfen.” — “He can help me this evening.”
- “Ich hätte es gekonnt.” — “I would have been able to do it.”
- “Du kannst Deutsch sprechen.” — “You can speak German.”
Common mistakes
1. 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 present form kann.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Ich können Deutsch sprechen.”
✓ Right: “Ich kann Deutsch sprechen.”
können is the sie form, not the ich form. Match the verb to the subject every time: ich goes with kann.
3. 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.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the Perfekt
✗ Wrong: “Ich bin Deutsch sprechen gekonnt.”
✓ Right: “Ich habe es gekonnt.”
The Perfekt of können is formed with haben plus the past participle gekonnt: the ich form is habe gekonnt. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
5. Using the preterite where spoken German prefers the Perfekt
✗ Wrong: “Ich konnte Deutsch sprechen gestern.” (in everyday speech)
✓ Right: “Ich habe es gekonnt.”
In everyday spoken German the Perfekt habe gekonnt is the usual past tense. The preterite konnte is correct in writing and in stories, but it sounds formal in conversation.
6. Inventing a du-imperative for a modal verb
✗ Wrong: “Kann Deutsch sprechen!” (invented du-imperative)
✓ Right: “Du kannst Deutsch sprechen.”
Modal verbs have no du-imperative in the verified tables — the du cell is a dash, not a form. Use the present tense kannst to tell someone what they can or must do.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on können. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the ich form of können in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) kann
- B) kannst
- C) können
- D) könnt
What is the er/sie/es form of können in the Preterite (Präteritum)?
- A) konntet
- B) konnte
- C) konntest
- D) konnten
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
What is the du form of können in the Future (Futur I)?
- A) werde können
- B) wird können
- C) werden können
- D) wirst können
What is the ich form of können in the Konjunktiv II (conditional)?
- A) könnten
- B) könntet
- C) könnte
- D) könntest
What is the wir form of können in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)?
- A) hattest gekonnt
- B) hattet gekonnt
- C) hatten gekonnt
- D) hatte gekonnt
What is the er/sie/es form of können in the Konjunktiv I?
- A) können
- B) könnet
- C) könne
- D) könnest
What is the ihr form of können in the Imperative (Imperativ)?
- A) können
- B) konntet
- C) habt gekonnt
- D) könnt
What is the past participle of können?
- A) gesollt
- B) gewollt
- C) gekonnt
- D) gemusst
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
- A) kann — the ich form of können in the Present (Präsens) is kann. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) konnte — the er/sie/es form of können in the Preterite (Präteritum) is konnte. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- 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.
- 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.
- C) könnte — the ich form of können in the Konjunktiv II (conditional) is könnte. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) hatten gekonnt — the wir form of können in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is hatten gekonnt. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- 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.
- D) könnt — the ihr form of können in the Imperative (Imperativ) is könnt. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) gekonnt — the past participle of können is gekonnt; it is used with haben in the perfect tenses. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- 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, and it 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.
What are the participles of können?
The present participle (Partizip I) is könnend — use it as an adjective for an ongoing action. The past participle (Partizip II) is gekonnt — use it with haben for the perfect tenses, as in habe gekonnt.
Which auxiliary does können take in the Perfekt?
können takes haben in the Perfekt: the ich form is habe gekonnt. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with haben plus the past participle gekonnt.
Does German have a separate conditional tense?
No. Konjunktiv II doubles as the conditional: the ich form könnte is the form you use for “would” meanings, and the periphrastic alternative with würde + infinitive is not a separate engine tense. The conditional perfect hätte gekonnt covers “would have” meanings.
How do I say “I can speak German” in German?
Say “Ich kann Deutsch sprechen.” — “I can speak German.” The ich form of the present is kann, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of können — every tense of können in one place.
- Können in the Perfekt tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Können examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Müssen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Sollen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Wollen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- German irregular verbs — every common irregular German verb, grouped by pattern.
- German verbs — the full hub of German conjugation pages.
- Spanish verbs — the full hub of Spanish conjugation pages.
- French verbs — the full hub of French conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — practise können with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise können with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise können with the interactive tool.