This is the 219th most frequent Dutch word.
konden
"Could" (past tense of "can").
Indicates past ability or possibility, here as not being able to go somewhere due to conditions.
We konden gisteren niet naar de winkel gaan vanwege de regen.
We could not go to the store yesterday due to the rain.
Expresses past potentiality in a conditional construction, reflecting what could have been possible under different circumstances.
Als we meer tijd hadden gehad, konden we langer blijven.
If we had more time, we could have stayed longer.
Highlights a repeated action or skill in the past, referring to ability during a specific period.