This is the 1610th most frequent Dutch word.
kende
"Kende" is the past tense of "kennen," meaning "knew" (to be familiar with).
The word 'kende' here is used as the past tense form of 'kennen', meaning 'to know', in reference to familiarity with a person.
Ik kende haar vroeger heel goed.
I used to know her very well in the past.
In this sentence, 'kende' is used to indicate the past knowledge ('to know') of a place.
Hij kende de stad alsof hij er geboren was.
He knew the city as if he was born there.
Here, 'kende' expresses past knowledge or understanding ('to know') of specific information.