Two Ways "To Know"
In English, you can know a person and you can know a fact. In Polish, these require two completely different verbs: znać and wiedzieć.
Znać: To be familiar with
Use znać when you are familiar with a noun (a person, place, or thing). Because it acts directly on a noun, znać takes an object in the Accusative case.
| Pronoun | Polish |
|---|---|
| ja | znam |
| ty | znasz |
| on/ona/ono | zna |
| my | znamy |
| wy | znacie |
| oni/one | znają |
| I know this address very well. | Znam ten adres bardzo dobrze. |
| We know the truth. | Znamy prawdę. |
| My sister knows this song. | Moja siostra zna tę piosenkę. |
Wiedzieć: To know a fact
Use wiedzieć for facts, information, or answers. Instead of a direct noun object, wiedzieć is usually followed by a clause starting with a conjunction or question word, such as że (that), gdzie (where), kto (who), or dlaczego (why).
Wiedzieć has an irregular present tense conjugation:
| Pronoun | Polish |
|---|---|
| ja | wiem |
| ty | wiesz |
| on/ona/ono | wie |
| my | wiemy |
| wy | wiecie |
| oni/one | wiedzą |
| I know exactly where this address is. | Wiem dokładnie, gdzie jest ten adres. |
| We know that this is a good answer. | Wiemy, że to jest dobra odpowiedź. |
| I don't know why he has my number. | Nie wiem, dlaczego on ma mój numer. |
Comparing the Two
It is very common to use both verbs side-by-side. Just remember the rule of thumb: use znać before a noun, and wiedzieć before a clause (usually following a comma).
| I know Krakow and I know where a good restaurant is. | Znam Kraków i wiem, gdzie jest dobra restauracja. |
| I know that you know my password. | Wiem, że znasz moje hasło. |
| I don't know exactly where we are meeting tomorrow, but I know the way. | Nie wiem dokładnie, gdzie się jutro spotykamy, ale znam drogę. |
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