Inklingo

How to Say "acquaintance" in Spanish

English → Spanish

conocido

/ko-no-SEE-do//konoˈsido/

nounB1general
Use 'conocido' when referring to a person you know, but not intimately; someone you've met or seen around.
Two people in casual clothes passing each other on the street and giving a quick, polite wave, signifying a casual relationship.

Examples

Él es solo un conocido de la universidad.

He is just an acquaintance from university.

No es mi amigo, es solo un conocido.

He's not my friend, just an acquaintance.

Tengo muchos conocidos en la industria de la música.

I have many acquaintances/contacts in the music industry.

Me encontré con una vieja conocida en el supermercado.

I ran into an old (female) acquaintance at the supermarket.

Male vs. Female Acquaintances

When talking about an acquaintance, the word changes based on their gender. Use 'un conocido' for a man and 'una conocida' for a woman.

Friend vs. Acquaintance

Mistake: “Mi conocido Juan viene a la fiesta.”

Correction: Mi amigo Juan viene a la fiesta. Using 'conocido' here sounds a bit distant. In Spanish, it clearly means you don't know the person well, so use 'amigo' for actual friends.

conocimiento

ko-no-see-MYEN-toh/konoθiˈmjento/

nounC1general
Use 'conocimiento' when referring to the state of having knowledge or awareness about a subject or skill, not a person.
A skilled carpenter wearing a simple apron carefully measuring a perfectly crafted wooden object with a specialized caliper tool, demonstrating precision.

Examples

Necesitamos un experto con conocimiento en inteligencia artificial.

We need an expert with knowledge in artificial intelligence.

Necesitamos un ingeniero con conocimientos de robótica.

We need an engineer with knowledge/expertise in robotics.

Puso el plan en marcha sin el conocimiento de su jefe.

He launched the plan without the awareness/knowledge of his boss.

Hicimos un primer conocimiento mutuo en la conferencia.

We made our initial acquaintance at the conference. (Formal use)

Plural for Skills

When talking about professional or technical skills (like programming or finance), Spanish almost always uses the plural: conocimientos.

Person vs. Skill

The most common mistake is using 'conocimiento' to refer to a person. Remember, 'conocido' (with a -'d' ending) refers to a person you know, while 'conocimiento' (with a -'t' ending) refers to knowledge or expertise.

Related Translations

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