Conocer Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

conocer — to know — is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Conocer means to know a person, a place, or to meet someone for the first time: conozco a María, conozco Madrid. It is different from saber, which is for facts. Its only irregularity is the c → zc spelling change: conozco, conozca. In the preterite it means met: conocí a Juan ayer. On this page you will find conocer in real sentences, grouped by meaning and tense, two short texts that show it in context, the mistakes learners actually make with it, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then test yourself.

Example sentences with conocer

In the present tense

  • “Yo conozco a María desde hace años.” — “I have known María for years.”
  • “Ella conoce bien la ciudad.” — “She knows the city well.”
  • “Nosotros conocemos a los vecinos nuevos.” — “We know the new neighbours.”
  • “Ellos conocen muchos restaurantes buenos.” — “They know many good restaurants.”
  • “¿Tú conoces este barrio?” — “Do you know this neighbourhood?”
  • “Vosotros conocéis al director, ¿verdad?” — “You know the director, right?”

In the preterite

  • “Ayer yo conocí a un chico interesante.” — “Yesterday I met an interesting guy.”
  • “Ella conoció a su marido en 2010.” — “She met her husband in 2010.”
  • “Nosotros conocimos la Alhambra el año pasado.” — “We got to know the Alhambra last year.”
  • “Ellos conocieron a los padres de Ana.” — “They met Ana’s parents.”
  • “¿Tú conociste a alguien en la fiesta?” — “Did you meet anyone at the party?”
  • “El grupo conoció el museo por la mañana.” — “The group got to know the museum in the morning.”

In other tenses

The same verb in the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect — the four tenses that complete the picture. All forms come from the verified tables.

  • “De niño, yo conocía a María en Madrid.” — “As a child, I used to know María in Madrid.”
  • “Mañana, yo conoceré a María en Madrid.” — “Tomorrow, I will know María in Madrid.”
  • “Si pudiera, yo conocería a María en Madrid.” — “If I could, I would know María in Madrid.”
  • “Yo he conocido a María en Madrid.” — “I have known María in Madrid.”

Conocer in context

Cada día, yo conozco a María en Madrid. Mi amigo también conoce a María en Madrid cuando tiene tiempo. Después, yo conozco a María de nuevo por la tarde. Es una parte normal de mi rutina, y por eso el presente de conocer es la primera forma que conviene aprender.

Ayer, yo conocí a María en Madrid. Mi amigo conoció a María en Madrid también, y por la noche yo conocí a María otra vez. Fue un día normal, pero es justo en días así cuando el pretérito de conocer aparece una y otra vez: una acción terminada, un momento concreto, y la historia sigue.

Common mistakes with conocer

Mistake 1

Wrong: Yo conoco a María.

Right: Yo conozco a María.

Conocer changes c to zc before o: conozco, not conoco.

Mistake 2

Wrong: Yo conozco la respuesta — wrong verb.

Right: Yo conozco a María.

People and places take conocer; facts take saber — conozco la respuesta is wrong.

Mistake 3

Wrong: Treating conocer as a regular verb.

Right: Learn the irregular forms: present conozco, preterite conocí.

conocer is irregular — its present and preterite do not follow the regular endings, so they have to be memorised as a set.

Quiz: conocer in everyday use

Ten questions on conocer across the tenses. Answers with explanations follow each question.

1. What is the yo form of conocer in the present tense?

  • A) conozco
  • B) conoces
  • C) conoce
  • D) conocemos

Answer: A — The yo form in the present tense is conozco.

2. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of conocer in the present tense?

  • A) conozco
  • B) conoces
  • C) conocemos
  • D) conoce

Answer: D — The él/ella/Ud. form in the present tense is conoce.

3. What is the yo form of conocer in the preterite?

  • A) conoció
  • B) conocimos
  • C) conocí
  • D) conociste

Answer: C — The yo form in the preterite is conocí.

4. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of conocer in the preterite?

  • A) conoció
  • B) conocieron
  • C) conocí
  • D) conociste

Answer: B — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the preterite is conocieron.

5. What is the yo form of conocer in the imperfect?

  • A) conocía
  • B) conocías
  • C) conocía
  • D) conocíamos

Answer: A — The yo form in the imperfect is conocía.

6. What is the tú form of conocer in the future?

  • A) conoceré
  • B) conocerá
  • C) conoceremos
  • D) conocerás

Answer: D — The tú form in the future is conocerás.

7. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of conocer in the conditional?

  • A) conocerías
  • B) conoceríamos
  • C) conocería
  • D) conocería

Answer: C — The él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional is conocería.

8. What is the nosotros/as form of conocer in the present perfect?

  • A) ha conocido
  • B) hemos conocido
  • C) he conocido
  • D) has conocido

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the present perfect is hemos conocido.

9. Fill in the blank: “Yo ___ a María desde hace años.” (I have known María for years.)

  • A) conozco
  • B) conoces
  • C) conoce
  • D) conocemos

Answer: A — The sentence needs conozco.

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Yo conozco a María.
  • B) Yo conoco a María.

Answer: A — Conocer changes c to zc before o: conozco, not conoco.

Frequently asked questions

What does conocer mean?

conocer means “to know” in English. Conocer means to know a person, a place, or to meet someone for the first time: conozco a María, conozco Madrid. It is different from saber, which is for facts. Its only irregularity is the c → zc spelling change: conozco, conozca. In the preterite it means met: conocí a Juan ayer.

Is conocer regular?

No. conocer is an irregular -er verb (irregular in present, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative). It is irregular in present, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative, and those forms have to be learnt as a set rather than built by rule. The full conjugation page shows every tense.

When do I use conocer in the past — preterite or imperfect?

Use the preterite — conocí, conociste, conoció — for a finished action at a specific moment, and the imperfect — conocía, conocías, conocía — for what was happening, what used to happen, or the background. The same rule applies to conocer as to every Spanish verb; the tense changes the meaning, not the verb.

How can I practise conocer?

Start with the examples above, say them aloud, then take the quiz on this page. For more practice, use the Spanish Verb Quiz and the Conocer Conjugator, and read the full conjugation page for conocer to see the verb in every tense.

Say it yourself

Reading is not enough — say the verb aloud before you move on. Use the forms from the tables on this page and answer these three prompts as full sentences. First, say a sentence about yourself in the present tense: “Yo conozco…”. Second, say a sentence about yesterday in the preterite: “Ayer yo conocí…”. Third, say a sentence about tomorrow in the future: “Mañana yo conoceré…”. If you can answer all three without looking at the tables, the forms are starting to stick. If you hesitate, go back to the examples above, read them aloud twice, and try again. Speaking the forms is what turns a table you have seen into a verb you can use.

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