conocer Preterite Conjugation
conocer — to know
In the preterite, conocer changes meaning from 'to know' to 'to meet' someone for the first time.
conocer Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use this tense when you want to say you met someone or visited a place for the first time. It marks the specific moment the 'knowing' began.
Notes on conocer in the Preterite
Conocer is regular in the preterite, following standard -er endings (conocí, conociste, conoció).
Example Sentences
Conocí a mi esposo en la universidad.
I met my husband at the university.
yo
¿Cuándo conociste a Sofía?
When did you meet Sofia?
tú
Conocimos Madrid el verano pasado.
We visited (got to know) Madrid last summer.
nosotros
Ellos se conocieron en una fiesta.
They met each other at a party.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'conocí' to mean 'I knew him for a long time'.
Correct: Use the imperfect 'conocía' for ongoing knowledge.
Why: The preterite implies a single point in time—the act of meeting.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'conocer' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: conozco
The present tense of conocer is irregular only in the 'yo' form: conozco.
Imperfect
yo: conocía
The imperfect of conocer (conocía) describes ongoing familiarity or 'knowing' someone in the past.
Future
yo: conoceré
The future tense of conocer is regular: conoceré, conocerás, conocerá, etc.
Conditional
yo: conocería
The conditional form of conocer expresses what you 'would know' or 'would meet' under certain conditions.
Present Subjunctive
yo: conozca
The present subjunctive uses the 'conozc-' stem for all forms.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: conociera
The imperfect subjunctive of conocer (conociera) is used for past doubts or 'if' scenarios.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: conoce
The imperative of conocer is used to tell someone to 'get to know' or 'meet' someone.
Negative Imperative
yo: no conozcas
Negative commands for conocer always use the 'zc' stem (no conozcas).