Distinguishing Between Kennen & Wissen

Kennen vs Wissen

When learning German grammar, students often encounter two verbs that seem to express the same action of knowing or “to know” in English: Kennen and Wissen. It can be confusing to choose the right verb between these two options. This article aims to clarify the difference between them.

Key Takeaways

• Wissen is used to indicate knowledge about facts and objects.
• Kennen is used to express familiarity with a person or a place.
• Wissen is followed by a subordinate clause, while Kennen can be answered with just a noun or pronoun.

Wissen is a word used to indicate knowledge about facts and objects. It is appropriate to use when you want to let others know that you have knowledge about a place or a thing.

On the other hand, familiarity with a person or a place is expressed with the help of the verb Kennen. If you can answer a question with just a noun or a pronoun, it should be Kennen and not Wissen. Wissen is used when the answer requires a whole sentence and not just a noun, pronoun, or a phrase. It is important to remember that when Wissen is used to indicate one’s knowledge, it is followed by a subordinate clause that usually begins with wo, warum, wann, or wer.

To differentiate between Kennen and Wissen:

• Use Kennen when talking about familiarity with a person or a place. For example, “do you know my brother” would require the use of Kennen in the proper tense.
• Use Wissen when expressing your knowledge about a fact. For example, “do you know the name of this station?” is a question that requires the use of Wissen.