Do You Confuse MEET, KNOW, and GET TO KNOW? (RealLife TV Video)

Today’s RealLife TV video lesson explore common mistakes learners make in distinguishing between MEET and KNOW. I’ll also explain how to use GET TO KNOW and KNOW HOW TO. And if you watch until the end you’ll get a FREE present!

Full Transcript

Hey guys, welcome to another episode of RealLife TV. Today I’m going to teach you how to use the verbs meet, know, get to know, and know how to, so stay tuned!

How to Use Meet

Okay, so, meet and know. These are two commonly confused words. So, to meet is to meet somebody for the first time. Somebody introduces you or you meet that person. “Nice to meet you.”

• MEET: Meet somebody for the first time, or in an introductions (23 Ways to Greet Somebody in English)

This is one of the first things you learn in English, and to meet up with somebody, or to meet with somebody is to get together with that person, either to hang out, on a romantic date, on a business meeting, or for any other reason.

• MEET UP WITH: Get together with that person (i.e. hang out, romantic date, business meeting)

So, you meet for the first time, “nice to meet you,” and you meet up with somebody for social reasons. And, also, it’s important to keep in mind that when you run into somebody is when you see them on the street, just randomly, without planning. You can also call this to bump into somebody.

• RUN INTO SOMEBODY: Meet them on the street without planning (also BUMP INTO)

An EXAMPLE of this: “My friend met a woman this morning, but he’s going to meet up with her tonight for a date.”  

How to Use Know

Know, on the other hand, is when you have a general knowledge about information or if you know somebody, so, you’re familiar with that person, or that place.

• KNOW: General knowledge or information (about a person, place, or topic)
• COMMON MISTAKE: “I knew that person yesterday” (it should be “I met that person”– I “knew” that person would mean that you knew/were familiar with them, but not anymore.)  Song: Somebody I used to Know

So, for example, “I know Ethan very well. I met him a few years ago. I’ve known him for 2 years.”

So, a common mistake with this word is people say “Hey, do you know São Paulo? Do you know New York City?” But you don’t say that, because this implies, like, a deeper knowledge. It’s like “Have you been to New York City,” that would be correct.

• COMMON MISTAKE: “Do you KNOW New York City?” (Know is to be moderately familiar with a place. Usually people want to ask “Have you BEEN to New York City?”)

How to Use Get to Know

Ok, and now, get to know. Get to know is the process of getting familiar with a place or a person. For example, “I just moved to Seattle last week, but I’m still getting to know the city.” It means I’m exploring the city, and, you could also do this for people as well. It’s like “I met, I met Ethan last week,” or “I met Ethan before, but I’m getting to know him still.”

You could also use this in a relationship. So, if you meet a girl or a guy, when you’re just getting to know them, that first phase of the relationship, you can use get to know.

• GET TO KNOW: The process of getting/becoming familiar with a place, person, or topic

How to Use Know How To

Know how to is more like a practical knowledge of how to do something. So, for example, “I know how to ride the bike.” “I know how to play soccer.”

Pay attention to the native pronunciation on this. An American might say “I know how-da,” “I know how-da.” “I know how-da ride the bike,” “I know how-da speak English.”

• KNOW HOW TO: Practical knowledge of how to do something
• PRONUNCIATION (Connected Speech): Know How to: “Know how-duh” 
  

Another common expression with this is know-how. Know-how is a noun that expresses general knowledge of something, practical knowledge. For example, “He has the know-how to be successtul in this.” “She has the technical know-how to design a webpage.”

• KNOW-HOW: A noun expressing general, practical knowledge on how to do something.

So, there you have it, those are the different uses of meet and know. Meet, “nice to meet you,” you meet up with a person. To know somebody means to familiar with them, or to know a topic – “Yes, I know the history of Brazil.” And to get to know somebody is a process of becoming familiar with that person or place. And know how to is more of a practical knowledge.

So, I hope you enjoyed today’s lesson of RealLife TV. If you haven’t subscribed yet, please subscribe if you want to get more videos like this. Also, if you stick around to the end of this video right now, you will get a free copy of our popular ebook “101 Words You Won’t Learn at School.”

Thank you very much, take care.