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El consejero conocía bien a la princesa.

El consejero conocía bien a la princesa.
The counselor knew the princess well.
From Lesson 256:Meaning changes in the preterite vs. imperfect·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about El consejero conocía bien a la princesa.

Why is conocía used here instead of the preterite conoció?
In Spanish, verbs related to mental states or knowledge change their meaning depending on the past tense you use. Because conocer in the imperfect describes an ongoing state in the past, conocía means the counselor already knew or was acquainted with her. If we used the preterite conoció, it would refer to the specific moment that state began, meaning he met her for the first time.
Why is there an a right before la princesa?
This is called the personal a. In Spanish, when the direct object of a verb is a specific person, you must put an a right before it. Since the princess is a specific person receiving the action of being known, a la princesa is required.
Could I use sabía instead of conocía to say he knew her?
No, because saber and conocer have different uses. You use conocer when you are talking about being familiar with or knowing a person, place, or thing. You use saber for knowing facts, information, or how to do something. Since the counselor knew a person, conocía is the only correct choice.
Could the word bien go at the very end of the sentence?
Yes, you could technically say El consejero conocía a la princesa bien, but placing adverbs like bien right after the verb they modify is much more natural and common in Spanish.

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