conoscono

Conoscono is the third person plural present indicative form of the Italian verb conoscere. It means “they know” or “they are acquainted with” and is used to express familiarity with a person, a place, or a thing, or to indicate that someone has become acquainted with someone or something. Unlike sapere, which generally covers factual knowledge or ability, conoscere emphasizes acquaintance and experience.

Usage notes: conoscere is transitive and typically takes a direct object. Examples include: Loro conoscono Marco da molti anni (They have known Marco for many years). Conoscono bene questa zona (They know this area well). Non conoscono la musica italiana? They may also use this form in compound tenses to indicate meeting someone for the first time, such as ho conosciuto, hanno conosciuto. In the present tense, conoscono is used for the third person plural regardless of what follows, as in Loro conoscono bene i loro vicini or Loro conoscono la cucina toscana.

Etymology and related forms: conoscere originates from Latin cognoscere, formed with the prefix con- and the root gnoscere, and has been adapted in Italian to conserve the consonant cluster conosc-. Related words include la conoscenza (knowledge or familiarity), conoscibile (knowable), and conoscere’s other conjugations (io conosco, tu conosci, lui conosce, noi conosciamo, voi conoscete, loro conoscono). The past tenses use avere as the auxiliary, e.g., ho conosciuto (I met / I have known).