conoce

Conoce is the third-person singular present indicative form of the Spanish verb conocer. It translates as "he knows," "she knows," or, in formal address, "you know." The same form also appears as the affirmative tú command, meaning "get to know" or "meet" in direct instruction.

Conocer, the infinitive on which conoce is based, comes from Latin cognoscere, meaning to become acquainted with or to know. In modern Spanish, conocer conveys familiarity or acquaintance rather than merely factual knowledge.

Usage and meaning

Conocer expresses familiarity with people, places, or things. When the object is a person, Spanish typically uses the preposition a: "conoce a su vecino" (he knows/met his neighbor). For things or concepts, you can say "conoce México" or "conoce la cultura japonesa." The verb is often contrasted with saber, which denotes knowledge of facts, information, or how to do something rather than personal acquaintance.

Grammatical notes

Conoce is one of the conjugated forms of conocer in the present tense. Other forms include conozco (I know), conocemos (we know), conocen (they know). In addition to the third-person present indicative, conoce appears as the affirmative tú command: "conoce" (you, get to know). The negative tú command is "no conozcas."

Common phrases

Conocer de oídas (to have heard of), conocer a fondo (to know thoroughly), and conocer bien a alguien (to know someone well) are frequent collocations. In Spanish-language contexts, knowing people and places is often expressed through conocer, reflecting cultural emphasis on personal acquaintance.