Kjennes

Kjennes is the present passive form of the Norwegian verb kjenne, meaning to feel or to know. It is used to express that the subject experiences a perception or sensation, rather than performing an action. In English, it is typically rendered as “feels” or “seems” in impersonal constructions such as Det kjennes.

Usage and examples: It is commonly used with adjectives to describe physical or emotional states: Det kjennes varmt i rommet. Det kjennes bra å få litt tid til hvile. It can introduce clauses with som to express a perceived condition: Det kjennes som om noe mangler. The past tense form is kjentes, used to describe sensations felt in the past: Det kjentes rart da jeg åpnet døren.

Grammar notes and etymology: In Bokmål, kjennes is the standard present passive form; in Nynorsk the corresponding form is kjennast. The verb derives from kjenne, related to the English ken, meaning to know, and shares cognates across the Germanic languages. Kjennes is commonly used in everyday speech and neutral writing to describe how things feel or how situations are perceived by the speaker.