Skip to the content
Reply

How to say in Esperanto that I know someone - but not in person?

by robinast, July 17, 2009

Messages: 7

Language: English

robinast (User's profile) July 17, 2009, 3:41:30 PM

If I don't mistake, "scii" means to know something and "koni" means to know someone. But which of the verbs should be used, if I want to say that though I know a person, I do not know her or him personally? For example, I know who is Barack Obama - but we are not acquainted with each other and he definitely does not know me. In Estonian in this case I would say "ma tean Barack Obamat" ("ma tean" = "mi scias" = I know). Aivar is my best friend and, naturally, we know each other well. Now I would say in Estonian "ma tunnen Aivarit" (="mi konas Aivar" = I know Aivar).
Another situation in Estonian (word for word translations):
Q: Kas Sa tunned teda? (Do you know him?/Cxu vi konas lin?)
A: Ei, ma vaid tean teda. (No, I only know him.rido.gif /Ne, mi nur scias lin.) Here I say that though I know who he is, I do not know him personally.
How to express this difference in Esperanto?

Amike,
Harri.

tommjames (User's profile) July 17, 2009, 4:12:45 PM

Koni can mean knowing someone either personally or impersonally, although the usual assumption will be that it's a personal relation unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. If I wanted to say I know Barack Obama, but stress that it's not a personal relation, I would say Mi konas Obaman, sed ne persone.

As far as I know, scii is never the right verb to show that kind of relation, whether it's personal or not.

mnlg (User's profile) July 17, 2009, 5:09:39 PM

You could say Mi scias pri li. I know about him.

jchthys (User's profile) July 17, 2009, 5:56:25 PM

I think koni can be applied to objects: Mi konas Linukson (I’m familiar with Linux), Mi konas la fluton (I sort of know how a flute works, but I don’t scipovi know how to play it).

ceigered (User's profile) July 17, 2009, 7:11:00 PM

I like mnlg's suggestion of 'mi scias pri li". You know things about him, and you're not saying that you're met his acquaintance so it seems good to me ridulo.gif

robinast (User's profile) July 17, 2009, 7:16:35 PM

mnlg:You could say Mi scias pri li. I know about him.
Thank you! Seems to be what I was looking for.

Harri.

yugary (User's profile) July 19, 2009, 8:02:48 AM

You can say it this way:
Mi scias kiu li estas, sed mi lin ne konas.

Back to the top