Kunne

Kunne is a verb used in Norwegian and Danish to express ability, possibility, or permission. It appears in different moods and tenses across these languages, with the base meaning “to be able to.” In everyday use, kunning forms relate to can, could, and could have in English.

In Norwegian, the infinitive is å kunne. The present tense is kan, while kunne is the simple past tense. The perfect form is har kunnet. For example: Jeg kan snakke norsk (I can speak Norwegian). Jeg kunne snakke norsk da jeg var yngre (I could speak Norwegian when I was younger). Jeg har kunnet snakke norsk i flere år (I have been able to speak Norwegian for several years). The word kunne is common in conditional or polite requests, such as Kunne du åpne vinduet? (Could you open the window?).

Danish uses a closely related form. The infinitive is at kunne, the present tense is kan, and the past tense is kunne, with the perfect form være/have kunnet in compound tenses. An example: Jeg kan snakke dansk (I can speak Danish). Jeg kunne ikke finde nøglen (I could not find the key). Kunne is widely used in polite questions and hypothetical statements.

In Swedish, the corresponding verb is kunna, with present kan, past kunde, and participles kunnat. Although the surface form differs, the semantic field remains similar: ability, possibility, or permission in various tenses.

Etymology-wise, kunne (and its cognates in Danish and Norwegian) derives from a common Germanic root related to knowledge and ability. Across Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish, kun- forms are a core part of expressing capability, with tense and mood variations that align with the broader grammar of each language.