kennenzulernen

Kennenlernen is a German verb meaning to get to know someone or something, i.e., to become acquainted. It describes the process of meeting or discovering a person, place, culture, or subject for the first time or in a way that leads to familiarity. Common uses include kennenlernen with another person (jemanden kennenlernen) and kennenlernen a city or country (eine Stadt kennenzulernen).

Grammar and usage: Kennenlernen is a prefixed verb. In present tense it is conjugated like andere zwei‑teilige Verben: ich lerne dich kennen, du lernst mich kennen, wir lernen uns kennen, ihr lernt euch kennen, sie lernen sich kennen. The verb can be used transitively with a direct object, or reflexively when the two parties meet each other (wir lernen uns kennen). In perfect tense the past participle is kennengelernt: Ich habe ihn kennengelernt.

Spelling and variants: Modern official orthography typically writes the verb as kennenlernen (one word) in many contexts. The past participle is kennengelernt. The infinitive with zu in subordinate clauses is kennenzulernen, as in Es ist schön, dich kennenzulernen. A two-word form, kennenlernen or „kennen lernen“, still appears in some contexts or older texts, but the one-word version is generally preferred in contemporary writing.

Usage notes: Kennenlernen often implies a new or initial acquaintance, but it can also describe getting to know new aspects of something (eine Stadt kennenlernen, eine Sprache kennenlernen). It is common in social introductions, professional onboarding, travel, and cultural experience. The related expression sich kennenlernen refers to two parties becoming acquainted with one another.