Genau
Topic test · A1

können test

13questions
8minutes
60%pass mark
Start the test Read the topic first

One question at a time, the clock runs. Answers stay closed like a real exam: you see every correct answer with its explanation at the end. Score 60% to finish the topic.

Topic test

13 questions, easy to hard

Pick an option and press «Next». You can go back and change it. Anything left blank counts as wrong.

How do you say “I can swim.” in German?

Ich kann schwimmen. Modal verb in second position, main verb at the end as an infinitive.

How do you ask “Can you come today?” in German?

Kannst du heute kommen? In a question the modal verb moves to the front; the rest of the order stays intact.

How do you say “He can cook well.” in German?

Er kann gut kochen. 'kann' for the 3rd person singular, the infinitive 'kochen', no 'zu'.

How do you say “We can go tomorrow.” in German?

Wir können morgen fahren. The infinitive goes last; the time expression comes after the modal verb.

How do you say “You (all) can help me.” in German?

Ihr könnt mir helfen. 'könnt' for the 2nd person plural, the Dativ 'mir' comes before the infinitive.

“You can’t smoke here.” (a ban)

darfst. A ban is expressed with dürfen, and with du it takes -st: darfst; darf is only for ich/er/sie/es. musst du nicht means “you do not have to smoke”. In everyday speech you also hear Hier kannst du nicht rauchen; the full form of the rule uses dürfen.

“I can’t swim.” (negative)

Ich kann nicht schwimmen. 'nicht' goes right before the main verb.

du Deutsch? (asking whether someone knows a language)

Do you know German?

You ask about knowing a language with können: Kannst du Deutsch? — it works even without a second verb; “speak” is implied.

Polite request: Sie mir bitte helfen?

Could you help me, please?

Könnten Sie …? — the Konjunktiv form of können softens the request. It is the default pattern in formal settings.

Which one is wrong?

A modal verb takes no -t in the third person singular: er kann, not er kannt. One of the most common conjugation mistakes.

The sentence “Ich kann schwimme.” is correct.

False. When a modal verb is used, the main verb goes to the very end of the sentence as an infinitive (unconjugated): schwimmen.

du Deutsch sprechen?

Can you speak German?

kannst. The modal verb können (ability / possibility) is irregular. In the singular the stem vowel changes from ö to a; du also adds -st: kannst.

Build the sentence: He can swim well.

Tap the pieces to build the sentence

Subject, modal verb, other elements, and the infinitive at the very end.
Quick rules

The rules in three lines

The full topic lives on its own page. This is only the core you need for the test.

  1. können = to be able to

    Ability and possibility: Ich kann schwimmen · Kannst du kommen? The main verb goes to the end as an infinitive.

    Ich kann schwimmen.

  2. Knowing a language is also können

    Ich kann Deutsch. — a complete sentence even without a verb; the “speak” is built in.

    Kannst du Türkisch?

  3. a in the singular, ö in the plural

    ich/er kann · du kannst — wir/sie können · ihr könnt.

    ich kann → wir können

  4. Requests: Könnten Sie …?

    The Konjunktiv form makes a polite request. In everyday speech Kannst du mal …? is common too.

    Könnten Sie mir bitte helfen?

Traps

Commonly mixed up

Where a direct translation breaks. The hard questions come from here.

  • Er kannt gut kochen.

    Er kann gut kochen.

    A modal verb takes no -t in the third person singular.

  • Ich darf gut schwimmen. (when talking about your ability)

    Ich kann gut schwimmen.

    Ability is the job of können; dürfen only talks about permission.

  • Ich kann schwimmen nicht.

    Ich kann nicht schwimmen.

    nicht comes before the infinitive.

  • Ich kann zu schwimmen.

    Ich kann schwimmen.

    zu does not follow a modal verb.