Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'know'

English Word: know

Key Russian Translations:

• знать (/zʲnatʲ/) - [Verb, General use, Imperfective aspect]
• узнавать (/ʊznɐˈvatʲ/) - [Verb, Process of learning or discovering, Imperfective aspect, Informal contexts]

Frequency: High (знать is one of the most commonly used verbs in everyday Russian conversation and writing).

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugation and aspects, but basic forms are accessible to learners beyond beginner level. For узнавать, it may be B2 due to its aspectual nuances).

Pronunciation (Russian):

знать: /zʲnatʲ/ (The 'з' is a voiced alveolar fricative, and the palatalized 'тʲ' can be tricky for English speakers; stress on the first syllable).

узнавать: /ʊznɐˈvatʲ/ (Stress on the third syllable; note the prefix 'уз-' which softens the pronunciation).

Note on знать: The palatalization in /zʲnatʲ/ means the 'н' is softened, which is common in Russian but may require practice for non-native speakers.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To have knowledge of facts, information, or people (e.g., intellectual awareness)

Translation(s) & Context:

• знать - Used in formal and informal contexts for general knowledge, such as knowing facts or acquaintances (e.g., in everyday conversation or educational settings).
• узнавать - Used when the process of gaining knowledge is emphasized, often in dynamic or investigative contexts (e.g., learning something new over time).

Usage Examples:

• Я знаю русский язык с детства. (Ya znayu russkiy yazyk s detstva.)

  I have known Russian since childhood. (This example shows 'знать' in a simple declarative sentence, highlighting long-term knowledge.)

• Он знает все детали этого события. (On znayet vse detali etogo sobytiya.)

  He knows all the details of this event. (Illustrates 'знать' with a direct object, in a factual context.)

• Мы узнаём новые слова каждый день. (My uznavayem novyye slova kazhdyy den'.)

  We are learning new words every day. (Here, 'узнавать' shows ongoing process in a habitual context.)

• Она знает, как готовить традиционные блюда. (Ona znayet, kak gotovit' traditsionnyye blyuda.)

  She knows how to cook traditional dishes. (Demonstrates 'знать' with an infinitive clause, in a skill-based usage.)

Meaning 2: To be acquainted with someone or something (e.g., familiarity)

Translation(s) & Context:

• знать - Often used for personal familiarity, like knowing a person, in both casual and formal interactions.

Usage Examples:

• Ты знаешь этого человека? (Ty znayesh' etogo cheloveka?)

  Do you know this person? (This uses 'знать' in a question about acquaintance, common in social settings.)

• Я знаю Москву очень хорошо. (Ya znayu Moskvu ochen' khorosho.)

  I know Moscow very well. (Shows 'знать' for familiarity with a place, in a descriptive context.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

знать is an imperfective verb, which means it describes ongoing or habitual actions. It follows the first conjugation pattern with irregularities. Below is a conjugation table for present tense:

узнавать is also imperfective and conjugates similarly, but with the prefix 'уз-': e.g., узнаю (uznayu), узнаешь (uznayesh'). It has past forms like узнал (uznal) for masculine singular. These verbs do not change in gender but vary by tense and aspect.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms: понимать (/pɐnʲɪˈmatʲ/) - More about comprehension; ведать (/vʲeˈdatʲ/) - Formal, archaic for knowing secrets or official knowledge.
• Antonyms: не знать (/nʲe zʲnatʲ/) - Simply the negative form; забывать (/zɐˈbʲvatʲ/) - To forget, implying loss of knowledge.

Related Phrases:

• знать наизусть - To know by heart (e.g., memorizing text or poetry; used in educational contexts).
• узнавать в лицо - To recognize by face (common in social or security-related scenarios; implies visual familiarity).
• не знать стыда - Not to know shame (an idiomatic expression for brazen behavior, often in moral discussions).

Usage Notes:

Russian verbs like знать often require consideration of verbal aspect; знать is imperfective, focusing on the state of knowing, while its perfective counterpart ведать or other forms like узнать (to find out) handle completed actions. English 'know' can map to either, so choose based on context—use знать for ongoing knowledge and узнавать for the process. Be mindful of formality: знать is neutral, but in polite speech, pair it with context-specific particles. When translating, avoid direct one-to-one swaps; for example, in questions, Russian often inverts word order for emphasis.

Common Errors:

• Error: Confusing знать with its perfective pair, e.g., using знаю instead of узнал in contexts of sudden discovery. Correct: Use узнал for "I found out," as in "Я узнал новость" (I found out the news) vs. incorrect "Я знаю новость" for a one-time event.
• Error: Overusing знать without proper conjugation, e.g., saying "Я знать" instead of "Я знаю." Explanation: Always conjugate based on subject; this is a common beginner mistake due to English's lack of conjugation.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, knowing something "by heart" (знать наизусть) is highly valued, especially in education and literature, reflecting a tradition of oral storytelling and poetry recitation from figures like Pushkin. This emphasizes knowledge as a communal and memorized asset, differing from Western emphases on critical thinking.

Related Concepts:

• понимать
• изучать
• владеть