10.6.1.1: Wissen/Kennen
- Page ID
- 108506
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Verbs:Wissen und Kennen
Wissen means "to know" a fact or specific piece of information. For example, you know where the castle is. You know who the residents are. You know what happened to the wolf. You know what Rotkäppchen's Omi is doing today.
| wissen • to know | |
| ich weiß | wir wissen |
| du weißt | ihr wisst |
| er/sie/es weiß | sie wissen |
| die alte Hexe | Knusper, knusper, Knäuschen, wer knappert an meinem Häuschen? Wer weiß es? | Who is scratching on my little house? Who knows? |
| Hänsel | Gretel, weißt du, wer hier wohnt? | Gretel, do you know who lives here? |
| Gretel | Ja, ich weiß Bescheid. Es gehört der steinalten Hexe! | Yes, of course I know. It belongs to the ancient witch! |
| die alte Hexe | Wisst ihr nicht, dass ich jetzt Hänsel kochen werde? | Don't you guys know that now I will cook Hansel? |
| Gretel | Ha! Und wir wissen auch, dass Sie das gar nicht schaffen! Wir haben das Märchen selbst gelesen! | Ha, and we also know that you won't succeed! We read the fairy tale too! |
| die alte Hexe | Dass ich nicht lache! Sie wissen nicht, dass unsere Autoren hier alle Märchen neu schreiben können! | I'm dying of laughter! They don't know that our authors can re-write any of the fairy tales here! |
As you can see, wissen is often used with an additional clause that begins with dass (that) – or with wie (how), warum (why) or wo (where). A few examples:
| Ich weiß, dass Hänsel und Gretel im Wald verloren gehen. | I know that Hansel and Gretel get lost in the forest. |
| Weißt du, warum der arme Holzhacker seine Kinder in den Wald schickt? | Do you know why the poor woodcutter sends his kids in the forest? |
| related words | |
| das Wissen | knowledge |
| die Wissenschaft(en) | sciences |
| der Wissenschaftler | scientist |
| die Weise | the art and way |
| auf diese Weise | in this way |
| die Weisheit | wisdom |
| die Weissagerin | prophetess |
| der Weisheitszahn | wisdom tooth |
| fun phrases | |
| weißt du was? | hey, you know what? |
| was weiß ich? | what do I know, though? |
| ich werde ihn bestimmt wissen lassen, dass er das nicht machen soll! | I'll definitely let him know that he can't do that! |
| ja, ich weiß, wie der Hase läuft! | yeah, I know what's going on! |
| weiß der Himmel/der Teufel | heaven/the devil knows! |
| die Linke weiß nicht, was die Rechte tut | the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing |
| ich weiß genau, woher der Wind weht! | I know exactly what's going on (where the wind blows from) |
"To know" a person or a place requires kennen (to be familiar with, to know as a person, place). For example, you know your best friend because you meet every day and share information that is important to you. You also kennen the Grimm fairy tales after reading sections of Grimm Grammar because you are familiar with the characters and stories.
| Kennst du Gretel? | Do you know Gretel? |
| Nein, ich kenne sie nicht. Ich habe sie noch nie getroffen. Aber ich weiß, dass die alte Hexe sie essen wollte. | No, I don't know her. I have never met her. But I know that the old witch wanted to eat her. |