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Dutch frequency list

No. 96 in Dutch

kon

"Kon" is the past tense of "kan," meaning "could" or "was able to."

In a sentence

  • Ik kon hem niet helpen gisteren.

    I could not help him yesterday.

    Here, 'kon' represents the past tense of 'kunnen', conveying an inability to perform an action in the past.

  • Hij zei dat hij kon fietsen toen hij vier jaar oud was.

    He said that he could ride a bike when he was four years old.

    'Kon' in this sentence indicates an ability or skill possessed by someone in the past.

  • Als ik tijd had, kon ik naar het feest gaan.

    If I had time, I could go to the party.

    In this case, 'kon' is used to express a hypothetical situation in the past tense, contingent upon an unmet condition.

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