Poznati

Poznati is a common verb in several South Slavic languages, notably Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian. It carries the sense of knowing someone or something, or of becoming acquainted with someone or something. The word is used with a direct object to indicate knowledge, familiarity, or contact, and its exact sense is often inferred from context.

Usage and nuance

Poznati can be used to express knowing a person, a fact, or a condition. For example, it can denote knowing a person personally or being familiar with a topic or place. The same verb appears in phrases that emphasize acquaintance, such as meeting someone for the first time or establishing familiarity. In many contexts, the act of knowing arises through experience, observation, or interaction, rather than through abstract information alone.

Adjective form

Poznat serves as the masculine form of the adjective meaning well-known or familiar; the feminine and neuter forms are poznata and poznato, respectively. It is common to see phrases like poznata osoba (a well-known person) or biti poznat po nečemu (to be known for something).

Etymology and cognates

Poznati belongs to a family of Slavic verbs with related forms in other languages. Cognates appear in languages such as Polish poznać and Russian познать (poznat’), reflecting a shared historical development of the concept “to know” across the Slavic languages.

See also

The term intersects with related verbs and nouns describing knowledge, recognition, and familiarity, and context typically clarifies the intended nuance in a sentence. In English translations, it generally corresponds to “to know,” “to get to know,” or “to be acquainted with.”