know
Primary: verbCan function as: verb, noun
Can function as a noun in informal contexts (e.g., 'in the know')
π Pronunciation
/nΙΚ/
Syllables: know
Stress: single syllable
Silent 'k' at beginning often challenging for ESL learners
π¨βπ©βπ§βπ¦ Word Family
| Word Class | Forms |
|---|---|
| Verbs | know, knows, knew, known, knowing |
| Nouns | knowledge, knower, knowhow |
| Adjectives | knowing, knowledgeable, known, unknown |
| Adverbs | knowingly, knowledgeably |
Forms extensive word family with productive affixation patterns
π― Verb Forms
| Infinitive: | to know |
| Base form: | know |
| 3rd person singular: | knows |
| Past simple: | knew |
| Past participle: | known |
| Present participle: | knowing |
| Gerund: | knowing |
Note: Irregular past (knew) and past participle (known)
π Meanings & Definitions
Noun Meanings
1
state of being informed or aware
Countability: uncountable
“He's in the know about the company merger”
Common collocations: in the know
Synonyms: awareness, knowledge
informalgeneral
Verb Meanings
1
to have information or knowledge about something
“I know the answer”
“She knows how to swim”
Synonyms: understand, comprehend
neutralgeneral
2
to be acquainted or familiar with someone
“I've known her for years”
“Do you know John?”
Synonyms: be acquainted with, be familiar with
neutralgeneral
3
to be certain or sure about something
“I know I'm right”
“I know that he'll come”
Synonyms: be certain, be sure
neutralgeneral
π§ Verb Patterns
know + object
“I know the answer”
Note: Direct object pattern
know + that-clause
“I know that he's coming”
Note: That can often be omitted
know + wh-clause
“I know where she lives”
Note: Common with all question words
know + about/of + object
“I know about the problem”
Meaning: Indicates awareness or familiarity
Transitivity
Type: transitive
Passive possible: Yes
Passive examples:
“It is known that smoking causes cancer”
π€ Collocations
Verb + Noun
β οΈ Common Errors
β I know him since 2010ββ I have known him since 2010
Present perfect needed with 'since'
Common for: Common in languages lacking present perfect
High impact
β I know to swimββ I know how to swim
Requires 'how' with infinitive
β I am knowing the answerββ I know the answer
Know is stative verb – rarely used in continuous
π Etymology
Origin: Old English 'cnΔwan'
Original meaning: “to perceive or understand”
Development: From Proto-Germanic *knaeanan
Related words in other languages: German 'kennen', Dutch 'kennen'
π Register & Frequency
Frequency: top 100 words
Spoken: very common
Written: very common
Academic: common
Business: common
Formality: neutral
π Semantic Relations
Synonyms
Exact: be aware of
Near: understand, comprehend, recognize
Contextual: be familiar with, be acquainted with
Antonyms
Complementary: ignore, be ignorant of
Gradable: be uncertain about
Gradable: be uncertain about