wissen
to know (facts)
A mixed verb meaning 'to know facts'. Irregular in present tense like modal verbs (ich weiß, du weißt). Important: 'wissen' is for factual knowledge, while 'kennen' is for familiarity with people/places.
Conjugation
Present Tense (Präsens)
| Pronomen | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | weiß |
| du | weißt |
| er/sie/es | weiß |
| wir | wissen |
| ihr | wisst |
| sie/Sie | wissen |
Simple Past (Präteritum)
| Pronomen | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | wusste |
| du | wusstest |
| er/sie/es | wusste |
| wir | wussten |
| ihr | wusstet |
| sie/Sie | wussten |
Perfect (Perfekt)
| Auxiliary | Partizip II |
|---|---|
| haben | gewusst |
z.B.: Ich habe gewusst
Imperative (Imperativ)
| du | ihr | Sie |
|---|---|---|
| wisse | wisst | wissen Sie |
Example Sentences
Ich weiß es nicht.
I don't know.
Weißt du, wo der Bahnhof ist?
Do you know where the train station is?
Ich wusste nicht, dass du Deutsch lernst.
I didn't know that you learn German.
Usage Tips
'wissen' vs 'kennen': 'Ich weiß die Antwort' (I know the answer — a fact) vs 'Ich kenne Berlin' (I know Berlin — familiarity). 'wissen' often takes a clause: 'Ich weiß, dass...'.
Common Mistakes
Confusing 'wissen' and 'kennen': 'Ich weiß ihn' (for a person)
Related Verbs
Related Grammar
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