conocer
/konoˈθeɾ/
conocer is the Spanish verb meaning to know, specifically in the sense of being acquainted with people or places.
conocer is used when you are talking about meeting or getting to know people, or when you are visiting and becoming acquainted with places. When the person you know is the object of the verb, you must use the personal 'a' before the person's name or the noun representing them.
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish conocer from the verb saber. While both can be translated as 'to know', conocer is used for being acquainted with a person, place or thing, whereas saber is used for knowing facts or information.
How does it change in a sentence?
The meaning of the verb can shift depending on the tense used. For example, when used in the preterite tense, such as with the form conocí (I met / I came to know), the meaning often changes from 'to be acquainted with' to 'to meet for the first time'.
How do you pronounce it?
/konoˈθeɾ/
Did you know?
- In some contexts, conocer is used to describe sexual intimacy. To say conocer a alguien in a specific literary or archaic sense can imply having had a physical relationship.
- The verb conocer shares a deep linguistic root with the English word 'cognizant'. Both derive from the Latin root for 'knowing' or 'recognizing'.
- The modern spelling of conocer actually replaced an older version, coñocer, which was the standard form used in Old Spanish.
Examples in context
- Me alegra conocerle.I'm glad to meet you.
- Es un placer conocerle.It's a pleasure to meet you.
- Quiero conocer más sobre su cultura.I want to know more about your culture.
- Encantado/a de conocerte.Nice to meet you.
- Me da gusto conocerte.I'm happy to meet you.
- Quiero conocer a tu familiaI want to meet your family
- Quiero conocer BarcelonaI want to visit Barcelona
- Conozco la historia de ese lugarI know the history of that place
- Conozco bien esa canciónI'm familiar with that song
- Conozco bastante a PedroI know Pedro quite well
- No conozco a tu hermano.I don't know your brother.
- Conozco Madrid muy bien.I know Madrid very well.
- Quiero conocer tu ciudad.I want to get to know your city.
- ¿Quieres conocer a mi hermano?Do you want to meet my brother?
- Es un placer conocerte.It is a pleasure to meet you.
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are talking about a new coworker.
- DanielElena, ¿ya puedes conocer al nuevo jefe?Elena, can you meet the new boss yet?
- ElenaNo, todavía no tengo tiempo de conocerlo.No, I still don't have time to meet him.
- DanielEs muy amable, te gustará conocerlo.He is very kind, you will like meeting him.
- ElenaEstá bien, intentaré conocerlo mañana.Okay, I will try to meet him tomorrow.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry conocer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries conocer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
