Berlin: 'wissen' vs 'kennen'
I can use 'wissen' and 'kennen' in the present and past tense to talk about knowledge, and can use a range of strategies for reading tasks.
Berlin: 'wissen' vs 'kennen'
I can use 'wissen' and 'kennen' in the present and past tense to talk about knowledge, and can use a range of strategies for reading tasks.
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Lesson details
Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons
Key learning points
- 'Wissen' means to 'to know' facts. 'Kennen' means 'to know' someone or to be familiar with something.
- The imperfect verb stem of 'wissen' is 'wuss-'; 'kennen' is 'kann-'. Use weak imperfect endings with both verbs.
- The past participle of 'wissen' is 'gewusst'; 'kennen' is 'gekannt'. Both form the perfect tense with 'haben'.
- When reading an extended text, notice tenses and vocabulary. Focus on questions carefully to identify required details.
Keywords
Wissen - verb meaning 'to know', used with facts
Kennen - verb meaning 'to know' someone or to be familiar with something
Imperfect tense - synonymous with the simple past; German single-word past tense used mainly to narrate past events in writing; e.g., 'war', 'hatte', 'gab'
Perfect tense - German two-word past tense using either 'haben' or 'sein' with a past participle
Common misconception
'Wissen' and 'kennen' are interchangeable.
Use 'wissen' with facts (e.g., 'Ich weiß nicht!') and 'kennen' with people or things you are familiar with ('Ich kenne deinen Freund.').
To help you plan your year 10 german lesson on: Berlin: 'wissen' vs 'kennen', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 10 german lesson on: Berlin: 'wissen' vs 'kennen', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
beginning, start
bathroom
field
performance, achievement
moment
stone, rock
to deliver, delivering
to chat, chatting
to seem, appear, shine
to text, texting
to sell, selling
to wait, waiting
Exit quiz
4 Questions
I knew [a fact] (imperfect tense)
I knew [a person] (imperfect tense)
I knew [a fact] (perfect tense)
I knew [a person] (perfect tense)