knew
A1Neutral (used in all registers from formal to informal)
Definition
Meaning
The past tense of 'know'; to have had information or understanding of something in the past.
To have been familiar or acquainted with a person, place, or situation in the past. Also, to have been certain or aware of a fact or truth in the past.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Irregular past tense form of the verb 'know'. It primarily expresses factual knowledge, acquaintance, or recognition from a past perspective. Often used in reported speech and past narratives.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Spelling and pronunciation are standard.
Connotations
None specific to either variety.
Frequency
Equally high-frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Subject + knew + object (noun/pronoun)Subject + knew + (that) clauseSubject + knew + wh-clause (what, where, etc.)Subject + knew + about/of + objectVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “knew the score”
- “knew the ropes”
- “knew which side one's bread was buttered on”
- “knew it inside out”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in past-tense reports: 'He knew the market trends before the meeting.'
Academic
Used to describe prior understanding of theories or facts: 'Newton knew the principles of gravity.'
Everyday
Common in recounting personal experiences: 'I knew the answer immediately.'
Technical
Rare in highly technical contexts; past understanding is often expressed with more specific verbs like 'calculated', 'determined', or 'identified'.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- I knew him from my university days in Edinburgh.
- She knew the way to the station perfectly.
American English
- I knew him from my college days in Chicago.
- She knew the way to the station perfectly.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I knew her name.
- He knew the answer.
- We knew the city.
- I immediately knew something was wrong.
- She knew a lot about art history.
- They knew they had to leave early.
- The detective knew at once who the culprit was.
- Having lived there for years, she knew the local customs intimately.
- Few people knew the full extent of the problem.
- The veteran diplomat knew precisely how to navigate the delicate negotiations.
- He knew the algorithm's flaw before the data breach even occurred.
- Scholars had long knew of the manuscript's existence, but its contents remained a mystery.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Link it to the word 'new'. You 'knew' something in the past, so it's not 'new' information anymore.
Conceptual Metaphor
KNOWING IS SEEING (e.g., 'I saw the truth' / 'I knew the truth'), KNOWING IS POSSESSING (e.g., 'She had the information' / 'She knew the information').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using the present tense 'знаю' (znayu) when the past is required in English. Russian may use the imperfective aspect 'знал' (znal) for general past knowledge, which maps directly to 'knew'.
- Do not confuse with 'узнал' (uznal - found out), which implies the moment of acquiring knowledge, whereas 'knew' often implies a state of already having it.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'knowed' (hypercorrection/regularisation of irregular verb)
- Confusing with 'new' (homophone error)
- Using present tense 'know' in a past context (e.g., 'Yesterday I know').
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'knew' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Knew' is the irregular past tense form of the verb 'know'. The past participle is 'known'.
In American English, 'knew' is pronounced /nuː/, rhyming with 'too' or 'blue'. The 'k' is silent.
No, 'knew' is strictly a past tense form. The present tense is 'know' or 'knows'.
A very common mistake is regularising the verb and saying 'knowed' instead of the correct irregular form 'knew'.
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