Conocí

Conocí is the first-person singular preterite form of the Spanish verb conocer, meaning to know or to meet. It is used to indicate that the subject met someone for the first time or became acquainted with something in the past. The main sense is meeting a person: “Conocí a Marta ayer” (I met Marta yesterday). It can also express becoming familiar with a place, thing, or concept: “Conocí la ciudad durante el viaje” (I got to know the city during the trip). The preterite contrasts with the imperfect “conocía,” which means “I knew” or “I was acquainted with” over a period in the past.

When referring to people, Spanish uses the preposition a after conocer: “conocí a mi vecino” or “conocí a alguien.” When referring to things, no preposition is used: “conocí la música,” “conocí esa ciudad.” The verb is regular in the preterite for -er verbs: yo conocí, tú conociste, él conoció, nosotros conocimos, vosotros conocisteis, ellos conocieron. Etymology: conocer derives from the Latin cognoscere, meaning to learn or become acquainted, cognate with cognition and recognize.

In contemporary Spanish, conjugations of “conocer” and its tenses frequently appear in literature, journalism, and everyday speech, with “conocí” serving as a concise marker of a completed encounter or discovery.