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Conoscevo già questo ristorante.

Conoscevo già questo ristorante.
I already knew this restaurant.
From Lesson 140:Found out or knew? (ho saputo, sapevo)·Italian

Breakdown of Conoscevo già questo ristorante.

il ristorante
the restaurant
già
already
conoscere
to meet, to know

Questions & Answers about Conoscevo già questo ristorante.

Why is the imperfect tense (conoscevo) used here instead of the passato prossimo (ho conosciuto)?
The imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing states or situations in the past. Knowing a place is a continuous state, so we use conoscevo. If you used the passato prossimo (ho conosciuto), it would change the meaning entirely to 'I met' or 'I discovered' the restaurant for the first time.
Could I use sapevo instead of conoscevo to say I knew the restaurant?
No, because conoscere is used for being familiar with people, places, and things. Sapere is used for knowing facts, information, or how to do something. Since a restaurant is a place, you must use a form of conoscere.
Why does già come right after the verb instead of before it?
In Italian, short adverbs of time like già (already) usually go immediately after the verb in simple tenses. While in English we say 'I already knew', the Italian phrasing is more like 'I knew already' (Conoscevo già).
How do I know to use questo instead of another form like questa?
The word questo means 'this' and it has to match the gender and number of the noun it points to. Because ristorante is a masculine singular noun, you use the masculine singular form questo. If you were talking about a feminine place, like a pizzeria, you would use questa pizzeria.

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