Breakdown of Как известно, зимой здесь холодно.
здесь
here
зимой
in winter
холодно
cold (adverb)
известно
it is known
Questions & Answers about Как известно, зимой здесь холодно.
Does как always mean "how"? Why does it mean "as" here?
While как is mostly learned early on as the question word "how", it is also a very common conjunction meaning "as" or "like". You will see it meaning "as" in many introductory phrases, such as как известно (as is known), как правило (as a rule), or как мы видим (as we see).
Why is there a comma immediately after Как известно?
Как известно functions as an introductory phrase. In Russian punctuation, any introductory word or phrase that frames the sentence—whether it shows the source of information, expresses an opinion, or organizes a thought—must always be set off by commas.
Could I change the word order to Здесь холодно зимой, closer to the English translation?
Yes, but it shifts the emphasis. Russian word order typically flows from the background setting to the core message. Starting with зимой здесь sets the time and place, leaving the most important new information—холодно (it is cold)—at the very end of the sentence where it gets the most natural focus.
Известно is related to the word for "famous". Can I use it to say a person is well-known?
Not in this exact form. Известно here is an impersonal word meaning "it is a known fact". If you want to say someone is a famous or well-known person, you must use the full adjective form that agrees with their gender, such as известный (for a man) or известная (for a woman).