What does “ken” mean before a verb in Hebrew?

כן means “yes,” but Israelis also slip it in front of a verb to flip a contrast: אני כן טסתי ליפן — “I did fly to Japan.” In this clip the speaker lists countries he’s never visited (אף פעם לא טסתי), then switches: אני כן טסתי… — “but I HAVE been to…” That little כן does the job English does with a stressed “did” or “actually.”

The pattern pairs with its negative mirror: אף פעם לא, “never,” literally “not even once.” So the clip’s rhythm is לא… לא… כן — never flew there, never flew there, but DID fly here. Drop כן before any verb when you’re contradicting an expectation: אני כן רוצה — “I do want to.”