Inklingo

How to Say "we met" in Spanish

English → Spanish

conocimos

/ko-no-SEE-mos//ko.noˈsi.mos/

VerbA2General
Use 'conocimos' when describing the first time you met someone, establishing a relationship or acquaintance.
Two friendly, stylized figures standing face-to-face, shaking hands firmly in a gesture of introduction.

Examples

Nos conocimos en la universidad y hemos sido amigos desde entonces.

We met in university and have been friends ever since.

Nos conocimos hace diez años en un viaje a Madrid.

We met ten years ago on a trip to Madrid.

¿Dónde y cuándo conocimos a tu nuevo socio?

Where and when did we meet your new partner?

Tense Difference: Preterite vs. Imperfect

The Preterite form 'conocimos' (we met) focuses on the single, completed action of the meeting itself. If you used the Imperfect ('conocíamos'), it would mean 'we knew each other' or 'we used to know each other' for an ongoing period.

Conocer vs. Saber

Mistake: “Using 'supimos' when you mean 'we met a person' or 'we got to know a city'.”

Correction: Use 'conocimos' for meeting a person or becoming familiar with a place or thing. 'Supimos' (from 'saber') only means 'we found out a fact' or 'we learned information'.

encontramos

/en-kon-TRA-mos//enkoŋˈtɾamos/

VerbA2General
Use 'encontramos' when you unexpectedly ran into someone or discovered something at a specific past moment.
Two adult friends, one holding groceries and the other holding a book, smiling brightly as they unexpectedly meet face-to-face on a sidewalk.

Examples

Mientras caminábamos por el centro, nos encontramos con nuestro vecino.

While walking downtown, we ran into our neighbor.

Ayer encontramos un restaurante italiano muy bueno.

Yesterday we found a very good Italian restaurant.

La semana pasada, nos encontramos en la fiesta de Ana.

Last week, we met at Ana's party.

Después de mucho buscar, por fin encontramos la salida.

After searching a lot, we finally found the exit.

Context is Everything

To signal you mean 'we found' (past), use time words like 'ayer' (yesterday), 'anoche' (last night), or 'la semana pasada' (last week). Without them, people might think you mean the present.

Using 'encontremos'

Mistake: “Ayer nos encontremos en el cine.”

Correction: Ayer nos encontramos en el cine. 'Encontremos' is a special form used for wishes or commands, like 'Let's meet!' ('¡Encontrémonos!').

First Meeting vs. Running Into Someone

The most common mistake is using 'conocimos' when you simply ran into someone unexpectedly. Remember, 'conocimos' specifically refers to the initial meeting that started a relationship, while 'encontramos' is for chance encounters.

Related Translations

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