sense of "to know people"

Members help members on grammar, vocab, pronunciation...

Moderator: EC

Post Reply
Jededly
Member
Posts: 17
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 2:23 pm
Status: Learner of English

sense of "to know people"

Post by Jededly »

Hi! I'm not sure that I understand the English verb phrase "to know people".
Does it always imply "to meet each other, have a talk, conversation, when each knows other"?
Or it could be the case when someone knows about the other, but the other doesn't know someone?
Peter knows much about the artist Jim Carrey, so Peter knows this artist, but Jim Carrey doesn't know something about Peter, so Jim doesn't know Peter.
So, the sentence,"I have known many interesting people and Jim Carrey is one among them" has sense in this case? If yes, it doesn't mean that I don't know them any more? It mean that I knew them before and know still know.
User avatar
SkypeTeach
Member
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Sep 30, 2013 9:32 am
Status: Teacher of English

Re: sense of "to know people"

Post by SkypeTeach »

Hi Jededly, what is your native language? The English verb "to know" often has two translations. For example, in French the is "savoir" and "connaitre", in Polish "wiec" and "znac", and in Italian "sapere" and "connoscere".

The meaning of "know" depends on the context. If I say to you that I know Jim Carrey, it could mean that I know his work and films, or it could mean that I am friends with him.

The sentence you give means that in my life I have met, spoken to and had as friends many interesting people. Jim Carrey is one of these people. It does not make clear whether you still speak to him now.
Jededly
Member
Posts: 17
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 2:23 pm
Status: Learner of English

Re: sense of "to know people"

Post by Jededly »

Hi! My native language is Russian.
You mean that if the verb "know" is used in the Simple Tense, then it could mean two things: I know him by films or by my personal acquaintance with him, from personal meetings with him.
But if the verb "know" is used in the Perfect Present Tense then it means only one thing:"to have known" means "to have met","to have spoken to" and "to have had as a friend"?
So,"I have known many interesting people" means only that "I have met, spoken to many interesting people, that is to say, I have had some relations with them as well as they with me?"
The sense of "to be familiar with interesting people by books and TV" doesn't work in "Perfect Tense"?
Jededly
Member
Posts: 17
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 2:23 pm
Status: Learner of English

Re: sense of "to know people"

Post by Jededly »

Nevertheless, why does it seem to me that one could say,"I have known many interesting people and Jim Carrey is one among them" in the case when one says this phrase just right after reading some article about famous people?
User avatar
SkypeTeach
Member
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Sep 30, 2013 9:32 am
Status: Teacher of English

Re: sense of "to know people"

Post by SkypeTeach »

No, this would be wrong. If you have never met him and you only have an awareness of his existence through his films then you cannot say that you have known him.
Post Reply