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Conjugation Chart

“Conocer” (to know) in the Imperfect Tense

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Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Conocer”

The Imperfect Tense of conocer is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example: Cuando era niño, conocía a todos mis vecinos. (When I was a child, I knew all my neighbors.)

Conocer is a regular -er verb, so its conjugations in the Imperfect Tense follow the regular pattern for this verb type.

How to Use Conocer in the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense of conocer is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, as well as descriptions and states of being.

To know someone or something: For example, Yo conocía a tu hermano cuando éramos niños. (I knew your brother when we were kids.)

To be familiar with a place: For example, Conocía bien la ciudad porque vivía allí desde hacía años. (I knew the city well because I had lived there for years.)

To experience or be acquainted with something: For example, Nunca había conocido la pobreza hasta que perdí mi trabajo. (I had never experienced poverty until I lost my job.)

To recognize or identify someone or something: For example, No conocía a esa persona, pero su cara me resultaba familiar. (I didn’t know that person, but their face looked familiar to me.)

To be aware of or informed about something: For example, Conocía los riesgos, pero decidí hacerlo de todos modos. (I was aware of the risks, but I decided to do it anyway.)

Colloquial usage: In some contexts, conocer can be used in a sexual or intimate sense, for example, Conocí a mi novia en una fiesta. (I met my girlfriend at a party, implying a romantic or sexual encounter.)

Real Life Examples of Conocer in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, conocía a todos mis vecinos. (When I was a child, I knew all my neighbors.)

Mis abuelos conocían la ciudad como la palma de su mano. (My grandparents knew the city like the back of their hand.)

En la universidad, conocíamos a mucha gente nueva cada semestre. (In university, we used to meet a lot of new people every semester.)

Antes de mudarnos, conocíamos a todos los dueños de negocios locales. (Before we moved, we knew all the local business owners.)

Cuando conocía a alguien nuevo, siempre trataba de ser amable. (When I met someone new, I always tried to be kind.)

Ustedes conocían esa zona de la ciudad mejor que nadie. (You all knew that area of the city better than anyone.)

Vosotros conocíais todos los atajos para llegar al parque. (You all knew all the shortcuts to get to the park.)

Ella conocía a mucha gente influyente en el mundo de los negocios. (She knew a lot of influential people in the business world.)

Nosotros conocíamos los mejores lugares para comer en la ciudad. (We knew the best places to eat in the city.)

Tú conocías a esa persona desde la infancia, ¿verdad? (You knew that person since childhood, right?)

Ellos conocían todos los trucos para ahorrar dinero en las compras. (They knew all the tricks to save money while shopping.)

Yo conocía a un montón de gente en la industria de la música. (I knew a lot of people in the music industry.)

Vosotros conocíais los mejores lugares para ver el atardecer. (You all knew the best places to watch the sunset.)

Ustedes conocían todos los bares de moda en la ciudad. (You all knew all the trendy bars in the city.)

Él conocía a mucha gente importante en el gobierno. (He knew a lot of important people in the government.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Conocer (to know) in the Imperfect Tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Imperfect tense is also known as the Past Imperfect, Descriptive Past, Past Progressive, or Imperfect Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Imperfecto, Copretérito, Imperfecto de Indicativo, or Pasado Descriptivo in Spanish.