conocimiento
/ko-no-see-MYEN-toh/
knowledge
This image illustrates conocimiento as general knowledge and accumulated information (general facts and information).
conocimiento(Noun)
knowledge
?general facts and information
,understanding
?comprehension of a subject
insight
?deep understanding
📝 In Action
El conocimiento es poder.
A2Knowledge is power.
Ella tiene un profundo conocimiento de la historia europea.
B1She has a profound understanding of European history.
La ciencia busca generar nuevo conocimiento.
B2Science seeks to generate new knowledge.
💡 Grammar Points
Always Masculine
Even though it ends in '-a' sound, conocimiento is always masculine: 'el conocimiento'. Most Spanish nouns ending in -miento are masculine.
Conocer vs. Saber
This noun comes from the verb conocer (to know a person, place, or be familiar with something). For factual knowledge, conocimiento works for both conocer and saber concepts.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using the wrong article
Mistake: "La conocimiento es importante."
Correction: El conocimiento es importante. (Remember, it's masculine, so use 'el' or 'un'.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Use 'de' to specify
To say 'knowledge about X,' use 'conocimiento de X,' not 'conocimiento sobre X' (though 'sobre' is also acceptable, 'de' is often more common).
Conocimiento can also refer to specialized expertise, showing deep skill in a particular field.
conocimiento(Noun)
expertise
?specialized skills (often plural: 'conocimientos')
,awareness
?realizing or noticing something
acquaintance
?knowing a person (less common)
,skill set
?professional abilities
📝 In Action
Necesitamos un ingeniero con conocimientos de robótica.
B2We need an engineer with knowledge/expertise in robotics.
Puso el plan en marcha sin el conocimiento de su jefe.
C1He launched the plan without the awareness/knowledge of his boss.
Hicimos un primer conocimiento mutuo en la conferencia.
C2We made our initial acquaintance at the conference. (Formal use)
💡 Grammar Points
Plural for Skills
When talking about professional or technical skills (like programming or finance), Spanish almost always uses the plural: conocimientos.
⭐ Usage Tips
Formal Awareness
The phrase 'sin el conocimiento de...' is a polite and slightly formal way to say 'without X knowing about it.'
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: conocimiento
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'conocimientos' in the sense of specialized skills?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'conocimiento' countable or uncountable?
It can be both. In the general sense ('Knowledge is power'), it is uncountable (singular). When referring to specific specialized skills or facts ('technical knowledge'), it is often used in the plural, *conocimientos*, making it countable in that context.
When should I use 'conocimiento' versus 'saber'?
'Saber' is primarily a verb ('to know facts'). The noun form, *el saber*, is usually reserved for deep, scholarly wisdom or collective human knowledge. *Conocimiento* is the much more common and general word for information, facts, or understanding.