Learn Croatian: Dobro se poznajemo i poštujemo. - We know each other well and respect each other.

In this sentence, se means "each other". This is its reciprocal use. When used with plural verbs like poznajemo (we know) and poštujemo (we respect), the pronoun se shows that two or more people are doing the action to each other, not just to themselves.

Why is se placed after dobro, instead of right next to the verbs?

The word se is an enclitic, which is a small, unstressed word that strongly prefers the second position in a sentence. Because Dobro is the first word, se must immediately follow it, even though it logically connects to the verbs later in the sentence.

Do we need to repeat se for the second verb (poštujemo)?

No. When two verbs share the same subject and both require the pronoun se, you only need to use it once if they are connected by i (and). The single se in the second position automatically applies to both verbs.

Why is poznajemo used for "we know" instead of znamo?

Croatian has two verbs for "to know". Znati (which becomes znamo) is used for knowing facts, information, or how to do something. Poznavati, which gives us the form poznajemo, is used for being familiar or acquainted with people and places.