知る

Japanese

Etymology

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *siru.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) しる (Heiban – )
• IPA^(key):

Verb

知(し)る • (shiru) transitive godan (stem 知(し)り (shiri), past 知(し)った (shitta))

1. to know, be aware of

   キムさんの電(でん)話(わ)番(ばん)号(ごう)を知(し)っていますか。

   Kimu-san no denwa bangō o shitte imasu ka.

   Do you know Kim's telephone number?

   すみません、お名(な)前(まえ)は知(し)りません。

   Sumimasen, onamae wa shirimasen.

   I'm sorry, I don't know (your) name.

2. to learn, acquire,
   • 1944 February 8, Ango Sakaguchi, 歴史と事実 [History and Facts]‎:

     我(われ)々(われ)は史(し)料(りょう)によって歴(れき)史(し)を知(し)る。

     Wareware wa shiryō ni yotte rekishi o shiru.

     We learn history through historic materials.

3. to be acquainted with, to know (someone)
4. (colloquial, in the negative) to care in the least about, to be concerned with,

   寿司(すし)ピザなんか知(し)らん。

   Sushi piza nanka shiran.

   I couldn't care less for sushi pizza.

Usage notes

When constructing this verb's affirmative present form, the ている construction is used, as in 知っている. However, as an irregularity, when forming its negative present form, the negative form of the ている (ている) construction is not, as would be expected, 知っていない, and instead becomes 知らない. Thus, extra care must be exercised when using this term.

This term is contrasted by 分かる, which is used for anything that involves conscious or continuous knowledge, while 知る is used for general facts. For example, the phrase

日(に)本(ほん)語(ご)を知(し)ります ― Nihongo o shirimasu ―  

would mean "I am acquainted with Japanese" or "I know what the Japanese language is". When saying "I know (have acquired) Japanese"

日(に)本(ほん)語(ご)が分(わ)かります ― Nihongo ga wakarimasu ―  

is used instead.

Conjugation

References

• 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.