Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

This Rusian word is one of the top 1000 words in Russian. The complete list of most common Russian words is available here.

Meaning: to know, to be aware of, to be familiar with

Pronunciation: [znaht']

Part of speech: verb (imperfective aspect)

Rank: #51 (see frequency list)

• Я знаю русский язык.
• I know Russian. (I can speak Russian)
• Он знает всё.
• He knows everything.
• Он ничего не знает о тебе.
• He doesn't know anything about you.
• Откуда вы знаете?
• How do you know? (lit: Where do you know from?)
• Я знаю её со школы.
• I know her since school.
• Я не знаю, что делать.
• I don't know what to do.
• Как знать!
• Who knows?

• дать знать (кому-либо) = to let (somebody) know
• знать в лицо = to know by sight
• он знать не хочет = he doesn't want to know; he won't hear of it
• знаете ли... = you know...
• знать меру = to know when to stop
• насколько я знаю = as far as I know
• знать, что к чему = to know the how and why of things
• Кто его знает! = Who knows?
• знать себе цену = to know one's own worth / value
• знать понаслышке = to know by hearsay
• знать назубок = to know by heart
• знать лично каждого = to know everybody by name / personally
• знать наперед = to know in advance; to foreknow
• знать, как свои пять пальцев = to know (something) like the back of one's hand
• знать все ходы и выходы = to know the ins and outs
• знать интуитивно = to intuit

• Знай, кошка, свое лукошко.
• Know your place / limits.
• Знай край, да не падай.
• You shouldn’t go over the edge.
• Всяк сверчок знай свой шесток.
• What Jupiter is allowed to do, cattle are not.
• Знай толк, не бери в долг.
• Better go to bed supperless than rise in debt.
• Знал бы, где упасть, там соломки постлал бы.
• If you could know where you fall, you would spread some straw.
• Знать всё -- значит не знать ничего.
• To know everything is to know nothing.

Present Tense

Past Tense

Future Simple Tense

The imperfective verb знать is not used in the Future Simple Tense. Use the perfective verb узнать instead.

Future Compound Tense

Imperative Mood (Command Form)

View full conjugation table for the verb pair знать/узнать