connaîtront

Connaîtront is a French verb form: it is the third-person plural in the futur simple (simple future) of the verb connaître, which means to know or to be acquainted with. The verb connaître itself comes from Latin cognoscere and is used in French to express familiarity with people, places, things, or experiences, rather than factual knowledge.

Formation and form: In the futur simple, the stem for connaître becomes connaîtr- and the standard third-person plural ending -ont is added, yielding ils/elles connaîtront. The stem also appears in the other plural and singular forms: je connaîtrai, tu connaîtras, il/elle connaîtra, nous connaîtrons, vous connaîtrez, ils/elles connaîtront. The circumflex on the î appears in the stem for these forms.

Usage: Connaîtront conveys that they will come to know or become acquainted with something in the future. It is commonly used for people, places, or experiences rather than for stating factual information, which is typically expressed with savoir (to know facts or how to do something). For example: Ils connaîtront bientôt la vérité. They will soon know the truth. Après ce voyage, ils connaîtront la culture locale. After this trip, they will become acquainted with the local culture.

Notes: The nuance of connaître (to know/know someone) versus savoir (to know facts or how to do something) is important in choosing tussen these verbs. Connaître is often used with direct objects referring to people or places, whereas savoir is used for information, skills, or procedures.

See also: connaître, connaissance, connaissance de cause, savoir, futur simple.