What's the difference between ved and kender?

What's the difference between ved and kender? Both of which are the present tense forms of at vide and at kende meaning to know in English.

Here you can read, in depth, the distinctions between the words ved and kender so you can feel confident that you're using them correctly.

At vide

Verb Conjugation: vid, at vide, ved, vidste, har/havde vidst

Knowledge

The simple answer is that at vide or ved is your knowledge: to have sure information about something, to have enough experience to know something is sure or true.

Knowledge, sure information, experience

Det er vildt, hvor meget han ved om fodbold.

It's crazy how much he knows about football.

Det er rart at vide, at hun har det godt.

It's nice to know she's doing well.

To have an idea about what will happen or how someone will act

Jeg vidste at hun ville spise min kage.

I knew she'd eat my cake.

Det er umuligt at vide, hvad hun laver.

It's impossible to know what she's doing.

Have knowledge about the existence of something

Sortkaffe er det bedste jeg ved.

Black coffee is the best thing I know.

En kold øl på en varm sommerdag. Det er bare det bedste jeg ved.

A cold beer on a hot summer day. It's just the best thing I know.

There are several other nuances and uses of the word vide, but these are arguably the most common.

Kender

Verb Conjugation: kend, at kende, kender, kendte, har/havde kendt

So, whereas at vide refers greatly to the knowledge you have, at kende on the other hand refers mostly to what you are familiar with, that is, for example: places, people, books, movies, items, systems, etc.

To be familiar with, to know a person

Hvor godt kender du København?

How well do you know Copenhagen?

Kender du ikke min far?

Don't you know my dad?

Hun kender vejen.

She knows the way.

To know a system and thus how to use it

Alle kender alfabetets bogstaver.

Everyone knows the letters of the alphabet.

Jeg kender faktisk programmet rigtig godt.

I actually know the program really well.

To perceive something as identical as previously seen, i.e. a person, a person's personality, building, a design etc (genkende = recognize)