känna

Känna is a common Swedish verb with several related meanings: to perceive or experience a physical sensation, to feel emotionally, and to know someone or something through familiarity. It also appears in many collocations that express awareness, recognition, or attitude, such as känna till (to know about), känna igen (to recognize), and känna efter (to feel for or check), among others. The verb can describe personal perception (touch, temperature, pain), internal states (happiness, fear, tiredness), and social knowledge (being acquainted with a person or a fact).

Conjugation and usage: the infinitive is känna; present tense is känner; past tense is kände; supine (used with har in perfect tenses) is känt. The imperative form is känn. Känna is typically transitive when it takes a direct object (känna något, känna en lukt, känna en smärta) but it can also be intransitive in impersonal constructions (Det känns bra, It feels good). The verb pairs with reflexive use to describe one’s state (jag känner mig trött). It also forms several important phrases: känna till to be aware of; känna igen to recognize; känna igen sig to feel at home or recognize oneself in something; känna efter to check or feel for; känna av to sense or perceive subtly.

Examples: Jag känner värmen från solen. Hon känner smärta i benen. Jag känner mig trött efter jobbet. Vi känner varandra sedan barndomen. Jag känner till historien. Kan du känna igen honom? Det känns bra. Har du känt det förut? Känna is a versatile element of everyday Swedish, with nuances that depend on context and accompanying prepositions.