bilmek: to know a fact, not a person

The idea

Bilmek means to know a fact, an answer or a skill: cevabı biliyorum, yüzmeyi biliyorum, Almanca biliyorum. The stem bil- ends in a consonant, so the present takes the full -iyor: biliyorum. The negative is bilmiyorum, the past bildim and the negative past bilmedim.

Examples

• Ben cevabı biliyorum.I know the answer.
• Sen onun adını biliyor musun?Do you know his name?The pronoun sen may be dropped, and mi is written apart: Onun adını biliyor musun? The name is the object, so it takes the accusative: adını.
• Annem üç dil biliyor.My mother knows three languages.With an unspecific object such as dil the accusative is left out: üç dil biliyor.
• Ben o soruyu bilmedim.I didn't know that question.In the past, bilmedim says the answer was not in your head at that moment, as with an exam question. The stem bil- stays and -me- comes before -di.
• Ben yüzmeyi biliyorum.I know how to swim.To say you know how to do something, use the verb as a noun in -me plus the accusative: yüz-me-yi. The y keeps the two vowels apart.
• Ayşe'yi tanıyorum ama adresini bilmiyorum.I know Ayşe, but I don't know her address.Tanımak is for a person you have met; bilmek is for a fact such as an address. The apostrophe separates the name from -yi.
• biliyorumI knowbil·iyor-iyor / -ıyor / -uyor / -üyor: happening now·um-im / -sin / -iz / -siniz: I am, you are, we are
• bilmiyorumI don't knowbil·miyor-miyor / -mıyor / -muyor / -müyor: not doing now·um-im / -sin / -iz / -siniz: I am, you are, we are
• bildikwe knewbil·di-di, -dı, -du, -dü, -ti: the past (geldi, yaptı)·kPast person endings: -m, -n, -k, -niz, -ler

Watch out

English, German and French speakers often say Ayşe'yi biliyorum for "I know Ayşe". That sounds like you know facts about her. For a person you have met use tanımak: Ayşe'yi tanıyorum.

Try it yourself

1. I know the answer. Put bilmek (to know) into the present continuous.

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   biliyorum

   biliyorum: the stem bil- ends in a consonant, so the full -iyor follows, and -um marks ben.

2. You don't know the address. Put bilmek (to know) into the negative present.

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   bilmiyorsun

   bilmiyorsun: the negative -mi- sits right after the stem and before -yor, and -sun marks sen: bil-miyor-sun.

3. I know Deniz, I have met him. Choose the verb that fits a person.

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   tanıyorum

   tanıyorum: Deniz is a person you have met, so the verb is tanımak. Its stem ends in the vowel ı, so only -yor-um follows.

4. The student did not know the question. Put bilmek (to know) into the negative past.

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   bilmedi

   bilmedi: the negative -me- comes before the past -di, and the o form has no person ending: bil-me-di.

Use it today

Write five sentences: two facts you know, one skill, one person you know and one thing you do not know. Check which verb each one needs.