¿Lo conoces?
To say "do you know him?" in Spanish, use ¿Lo conoces?
This phrase is used to ask if someone has met or is acquainted with a specific person.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
You can use the informal form ¿Lo conoces? If you are speaking to an elder or a superior and wish to be more formal or polite, use the form ¿Usted lo conoce? or ¿Lo conoce usted?
How does it change in a sentence?
When answering the question in the affirmative, such as saying "Yes, I know him", you should use the first-person singular form conozco in the sentence Sí, lo conozco.
Did you know?
- Spanish uses two different verbs for 'to know'. Conocer, used in ¿Lo conoces?, refers to being acquainted with a person or place, while saber is used for knowing facts or information.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, conocer is used to describe the act of visiting a city or landmark for the first time. Saying conozco Madrid often means 'I have been to Madrid' rather than just 'I know of Madrid'.
- The word lo in ¿Lo conoces? is a direct descendant of the Latin illum, which originally meant 'that one' or 'that person'.
Examples in context
- Él es muy amable, ¿lo conoces?He is very kind, do you know him?
Example conversation
Lucía is looking at a photo of a man in Daniel's wallet.
- Daniel¿Lo conoces?Do you know him?
- LucíaNo, no lo conozco.No, I don't know him.
- DanielEs mi primo de Madrid.He is my cousin from Madrid.
- LucíaAh, es muy guapo.Oh, he is very handsome.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
