Word
Sie kann gut Englisch sprechen.
Meaning
She can speak English well.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Sie kann gut Englisch sprechen.
sie
she
gut
good / well
sprechen
to speak
können
can / to be able to
Questions & Answers about Sie kann gut Englisch sprechen.
Why is sprechen at the very end of the sentence?
This is a rule called the sentence bracket (Satzklammer). When you use a modal verb like können (can), the conjugated modal verb takes the second position in the sentence (kann). The main action verb is pushed to the very end of the sentence in its dictionary form (sprechen).
The verb for to be able to is können. Why is it kann here without the umlaut (ö)?
Modal verbs often have a vowel change when used with singular pronouns like ich (I), du (you), and er/sie/es (he/she/it). For können, the vowel changes from ö to a. Also, notice that the ich and er/sie/es forms are identical: ich kann and sie kann.
The word Sie can mean she, they, or formal you. How do we know it means she in this sentence?
You can tell by looking at the verb! If Sie meant they or the formal you, the verb would stay in its plural form: Sie können gut Englisch sprechen. Because the verb is the singular kann, Sie has to mean she.
Doesn't gut mean good? Why is it translated as well here?
In German, the same word is used for both the adjective (good) and the adverb (well). You don't need a separate word to describe how an action is done. So, gut sprechen simply translates to speak well.