kunna

Kunna is a verb in Swedish that functions as a modal auxiliary meaning "to be able to" or "can." It is used to express ability, possibility, or permission in various tenses, often with another verb in its infinitive. For example, jag kan simma means “I can swim.” The verb also appears in past tense as kunde (e.g., hon kunde inte komma) and in the compound perfect with the supine form kunnat, as in har kunnat, meaning “has/have been able to.”

Etymology and cognates: Kunna derives from the Proto-Germanic and Old Norse roots associated with knowing and ability. It has close cognates in other Scandinavian languages, such as Danish kunne and Norwegian kunne. It is related to German können and Dutch kunnen, and shares a common Indo-European ancestry with the English can and the verb related to knowing.

Usage notes: Kunna is used to describe present or general ability (kan), past ability (kunde), and the capacity to achieve something in the past or up to the present (har kunnat). It is typically used with another verb in the infinitive to express the action that could be performed. In Swedish, expressing permission or obligation often relies on other verbs or constructions rather than kunna itself (for example, using få for permission). The phrase skulle kunna is commonly used to express a conditional possibility or hypothetical scenario.

See also: Swedish verb conjugation, modal auxiliary verbs, related languages in the Nordic region.