Conocer (to know) · Imperfect
By TutorLily Editorial Team · Last updated
Conocer in the Spanish imperfect (pretérito imperfecto) is: yo conocía, tú conocías, él/ella/usted conocía, nosotros/as conocíamos, vosotros/as conocíais, ellos/ellas/ustedes conocían. The imperfect of conocer keeps the static 'to know' meaning, in contrast with the preterite 'conocí' (met). 'Conocía a Juan' = 'I knew Juan (already, at that time)'. Conocer is fully regular in the imperfect.
| To Know | Conocer |
|---|---|
| I used to know | yo conocía |
| you used to know | tú conocías |
| he/she used to know | él/ella/usted conocía |
| we used to know | nosotros/as conocíamos |
| you used to know | vosotros/as conocíais |
| they used to know | ellos/ellas/ustedes conocían |
Conocer (to know) in context
Sentences that use conocer in the imperfect. Tap each to hear it.
I knew the city like the back of my hand.
You knew all the shortcuts of the neighborhood.
My father knew many old legends.
We had known the family for decades.
You knew the best bars downtown.
The ancient sages knew the secrets of the cosmos.
Working with the imperfect
The imperfect paints the background of a past scene: weather, age, habits, descriptions, ongoing actions that get interrupted. "Era de noche" (it was nighttime), "tenía cinco años" (I was five years old), "iba al parque cuando me llamaste" (I was going to the park when you called me). Only three verbs are irregular in the imperfect — ser (era), ir (iba), and ver (veía). Every other Spanish verb is regular here, which makes the imperfect one of the easiest tenses to learn.
Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate conocer in the imperfect?
When do I use 'conocía' instead of 'conocí'?
How do I say 'when we met' vs 'when we knew each other'?
Practice Conocer (To Know) in real conversations
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