#60 - Do I know you? - Practice with Know & Meet (Slow English)

L: Do you know me?

D: Yes, of course I know you ,Latonya.

 L: When did we meet?

D: We met about 3 years ago.

 L: That’s right. 5 years ago, I didn’t know you, and you didn’t know me. We didn’t know each other. 

D: Do you know my son?L: No, I’ve never met your son. I don’t know him.

We’ve been using meet and know – two words that can be challenging for English learners. Let’s focus on meet and know today. Let’s start with meet. “m – e – e -t” not  “ m-e-a-t” – like hamburger or steak. We use “meet” to talk about the first time we see someone and talk with them and learn their name. “I like to meet new people.” The past tense of “meet” is “met” For example, “ I met you 3 years ago.”  Or “We met 3 years ago.” - if I am talking about both of us.

After we meet someone for the first time, we “get to know” them - we learn about their interests, their family,  their work.

When talking about the past, we say “got to know”. Let’s talk about the verb  “know”:  k-n-o-w (remember when we see   “kn”  together, we know the “k” is silent. “Know”  we pronounce “NO”)

We use “know” in two ways. The first way is when we are talking about people we are acquainted with. “She knows my mom.” “I know your teacher.” I could say. “I met you three years ago, and I got to know you when we started working together. If someone asks me, “Do you know Diana?” I can say, “Yes, I know her.”  When we are talking about the past, we use “knew”. For example, “Did you know me two years ago when we started doing this podcast?” “Yes, knew you when we started the podcast.”

So, one way we use “know”  is when we talk about being acquainted with a person. Another way we use “know” is to talk about having information about something. For example, “I know your address.” Or “ I know that the park will close at 8:00.” or "She knows my cousin’s name.”

Do you hear the two different uses of “know?”  

 #1. “She knows my cousin. -  to be familiar with a person after you have met them

#2. “She knows my cousin’s name”       to have information – in this case my cousin’s name

Here’s a hint for Spanish speakers:  to know or meet a person – is the verb conocer;  to know information – is the verb saber

We talked about using the verb “meet” when we talk about being introduced to someone for the first time. Do we use “meet” in any other way?

We use “meet” to talk about arranging to be at a specific place at a specific time. “We always meet at the park on Wednesdays at 7:30 in the morning for lunch.”  or “Meet me at the restaurant at 5 this afternoon.” When people meet at a specific place and time we call it  a “meeting”.

Listen to our short conversation as we use know, knew, meet, met and meeting. 

A: Remember that we have a department meeting at 1:30 with our new boss.

B: Yeah, I know, but thanks for reminding me. Do you know the new guy?

A: Well, I met him yesterday. I know his name, and I know he worked in the Portland office before, but I really don’t know much about him.

B:  I met a woman from the Portland office at a conference last year.   I’ll ask him if he knows her when I meet him this afternoon.

A: OK. See you at the meeting.

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