Conhece

Conhece is the third-person singular present indicative form of the Portuguese verb conhecer. It means to know someone or something in the sense of being acquainted with, familiar with, or having met. The verb is used for people, places, and things you have experienced or become familiar with, and it is distinct from saber, which refers to knowing facts or information.

Origin and meaning: conhecer comes from Latin cognoscere, meaning to know or to become acquainted. In Portuguese, the sense of knowing through experience or acquaintance is central to its usage, as opposed to saber, which covers knowledge of facts, skills, or how to do something.

Usage: conhecer governs a direct object and is typically used with people, places, institutions, or works of art. Examples include: Você conhece o artista?" (Do you know the artist?), "Ela conhece bem a cidade" (She knows the city well). The form kennen; conotations of familiarity or having met someone are common in everyday speech. In Brazilian Portuguese, "você conhece" is a standard way to say “you know,” while in European Portuguese both "tu" forms like "tu conheces" and the polite form "você conhece" occur.

Conjugation overview: in the present indicative, typical forms are: eu conheço; tu conheces (Portugal) / você conhece; ele/ela conhece; nós conhecemos; eles/elas conhecem. The verb is regular in many tenses but has the same stem throughout; other tenses include conheci (pretérito perfeito), conhecia (imperfect), and conheça (present subjunctive).

Notes: conhecer contrasts with saber, where conhecer emphasizes acquaintance or experience, and saber emphasizes factual knowledge or information.