In German, there are two verbs that can be translated as “to know”: kennen and wissen. But what’s the difference between kennen vs. wissen? Can you use them interchangeably? Or are there any rules? That’s what we’re going to be looking at today.

Kennen vs. Wissen – The Difference

If you look in a dictionary, you’ll find that both kennen and wissen mean “to know” in English. But that doesn’t mean you can just use whichever one you like more.

In fact, many European languages have more than one verb that translates as “to know” – including Spanish, Swedish, Polish, and more. But in all these languages, each of the verbs means something slightly different. This is the case in German, too.

The difference between kennen vs. wissen is something that confuses many new learners, but it’s not actually too difficult. All you need to keep in mind is that each of these verbs is used in different contexts. So, let’s look at which one you should use when.

What Does Kennen Mean in German?

In German, you use kennen when talking about something or someone you are familiar or acquainted with.

For example, when you’re talking about knowing a person, you would use kennen, not wissen.

Here’s how to use kennen in a sentence:

• Ich kenne Maria seit langem. (I have known Maria for a long time. / I have been acquainted with Maria for a long time.)
• Kennst du das Buch von Erich Maria Remarque? (Do you know the book by Erich Maria Remarque? / Are you familiar with the book by Erich Maria Remarque?)

Tip: Kennen is often followed by a noun or a pronoun – the object that you are familiar with.

What Does Wissen Mean in German?

Wissen is more about knowledge than familiarity. You use this verb when you’re talking about a fact that you know or certain information you have.

For example:

• Ich weiß nicht. (I don’t know. / I have no knowledge about this.)
• Er weißt, wo Berlin liegt. (He knows where Berlin is. / He has knowledge about where Berlin is.)
• Wir wissen, dass sie verheiratet sind. (We know that they are married. / We know for a fact that they are married.)

Tip: Wissen is often followed by a subordinate clause (Nebensatz). Think of clauses that start with “dass,” “wo,” “wie,” “was,” etc. In English, these would be sentences with the following structure: “I know that/where/how/what.”

Kennen vs. Wissen – Common Mistakes to Avoid

The difference between kennen vs. wissen is not too complicated, but mistakes can still sometimes happen.

Here are some examples of phrases that new learners get wrong:

• Wrong: Ich weiß Paul.
• Correct: Ich kenne Paul. (Paul isn’t a fact you know; he is a person you are familiar with.)
• Wrong: Ich kenne nicht, wann der Film beginnt.
• Correct: Ich weiß nicht, wann der Film beginnt. (Knowing when the movie starts is all about the information you have. It’s not about familiarity; it’s a fact.)

Kennen – Everything You Need to Know

Now that you know the difference between kennen vs. wissen, it’s time to look at how to actually use these verbs. Let’s start with kennen.

Unfortunately, kennen is an irregular verb. This means that the conjugation can sometimes be a little tricky. But don’t worry – it’s not too complicated! Even though it’s an irregular verb, the conjugation of kennen is actually not too hard to remember.

I’ve prepared a helpful guide to kennen conjugation to get you started.

Kennen Conjugation in Present Tense (Präsens)

Singular

ich kenne	I know / am familiar with
du kennst	you know / are familiar with
er/sie/es kennt	he/she/it knows / is familiar with

Plural

wir kennen	we know / are familiar with
ihr kennt	you (plural) know / are familiar with
sie/Sie kennen	they/you (formal) know / are familiar with

Kennen Conjugation in Simple Past Tense (Präteritum)

Singular

ich kannte	I knew
du kanntest	you knew
er/sie/es kannte	he/she/it knew

Plural

wir kannten	we knew
ihr kanntet	you (plural) knew
sie/Sie kannten	they/you (formal) knew

Kennen Conjugation in Present Perfect Tense (Perfekt)

Singular

ich habe gekannt	I knew / have known
du hast gekannt	you knew / have known
er/sie/es hat gekannt	he/she/it knew / has known

Plural

wir haben gekannt	we knew / have known
ihr habt gekannt	you (plural) knew / have known
sie/Sie haben gekannt	they/you (formal) knew / have known

Kennen Conjugation in Past Perfect Tense (Plusquamperfekt)

Singular

ich hatte gekannt	I had known
du hattest gekannt	you had known
er/sie/es hatte gekannt	he/she/it had known

Plural

wir hatten gekannt	we had known
ihr hattet gekannt	you (plural) had known
sie/Sie hatten gekannt	they/you (formal) had known

Kennen Conjugation in Future Tense (Futur I)

Singular

ich werde kennen	I will know
du wirst kennen	you will know
er/sie/es wird kennen	he/she/it will know

Plural

wir werden kennen	we will know
ihr werdet kennen	you (plural) will know
sie/Sie werden kennen	they/you (formal) will know

Kennen Conjugation in Future Perfect Tense (Futur II)

Singular

ich werde gekannt haben	I will have known
du wirst gekannt haben	you will have known
er/sie/es wird gekannt haben	he/she/it will have known

Plural

wir werden gekannt haben	we will have known
ihr werdet gekannt haben	you (plural) will have known
sie/Sie werden gekannt haben	they/you (formal) will have known

Wissen – Everything You Need to Know

Even though there are many differences between wissen vs. kennen, the two verbs have one thing in common – they are both irregular.

Here is the wissen conjugation:

Wissen Conjugation in Present Tense (Präsens)

Singular

ich weiß	I know / have knowledge
du weißt	you know / have knowledge
er/sie/es weiß	he/she/it knows / has knowledge

Plural

wir wissen	we know / have knowledge
ihr wisst	you (plural) know / have knowledge
sie/Sie wissen	they/you (formal) know / have knowledge

Wissen Conjugation in Simple Past Tense (Präteritum)

Singular

ich wusste	I knew
du wusstest	you knew
er/sie/es wusste	he/she/it knew

Plural

wir wussten	we knew
ihr wusstet	you (plural) knew
sie/Sie wussten	they/you (formal) knew

Wissen Conjugation in Present Perfect Tense (Perfekt)

Singular

ich habe gewusst	I knew / have known
du hast gewusst	you knew / have known
er/sie/es hat gewusst	he/she/it knew / has known

Plural

wir haben gewusst	we knew / have known
ihr habt gewusst	you (plural) knew / have known
sie/Sie haben gewusst	they/you (formal) knew / have known

Wissen Conjugation in Past Perfect Tense (Plusquamperfekt)

Singular

ich hatte gewusst	I had known
du hattest gewusst	you had known
er/sie/es hatte gewusst	he/she/it had known

Plural

wir hatten gewusst	we had known
ihr hattet gewusst	you (plural) had known
sie/Sie hatten gewusst	they/you (formal) had known

Wissen Conjugation in Future Tense (Futur I)

Singular

ich werde wissen	I will know
du wirst wissen	you will know
er/sie/es wird wissen	he/she/it will know

Plural

wir werden wissen	we will know
ihr werdet wissen	you (plural) will know
sie/Sie werden wissen	they/you (formal) will know

Wissen Conjugation in Future Perfect Tense (Futur II)

Singular

ich werde gewusst haben	I will have known
du wirst gewusst haben	you will have known
er/sie/es wird gewusst haben	he/she/it will have known

Plural

wir werden gewusst haben	we will have known
ihr werdet gewusst haben	you (plural) will have known
sie/Sie werden gewusst haben	they/you (formal) will have known

What About Können?

Können is a German modal verb that looks a little similar to kennen. But it’s not just the spelling that these two verbs have somewhat in common. I’ve previously said that there are two verbs in German that can be translated as “to know.” But there’s actually another verb that we must consider.

In some cases, können can be translated as “to know,” too. So, you don’t just have to decide between kennen vs. wissen. Sometimes, there’s a third option.

Don’t worry, though – this doesn’t happen very often! In general, the verb können means “can” or “to be able to.” However, there is one commonly used exception:

• Ich kann Deutsch. (I know German.)

When you’re trying to say that you can speak German, you can say either “Ich spreche Deutsch” or “Ich kann Deutsch.” This is the one common exception when you wouldn’t use either kennen or wissen to explain that you know something.

In this case, though, it makes sense. “Ich kann Deutsch” implies that you are able to [use] German. That’s why können is used. It’s really just one of those idiomatic phrases that you’ll have to learn.

Don’t worry, though – in most other cases, you’ll only have to pick between kennen vs. wissen!

Tip: To learn more about the verb können and its conjugation, click here.

Kennen vs. Wissen In Context

If you’re still struggling to fully grasp the difference between kennen vs. wissen, check out this helpful video by Natürlich German. It puts the two verbs into context and is beginner friendly.

Learn More

If you’ve gotten this far and still feel like learning more about the German language, check out some of our other helpful guides:

• “Müssen” Conjugation: Learn How to Conjugate the German Verb “Müssen” in All Tenses
• German Resources: A Comprehensive List of Tools and Resources for Learning German
• German Adjective Endings: The Ultimate Guide to German Adjective Declension