Definition
To know a person, place, or thing through experience or familiarity — not to know a fact.
Example
Est-ce que tu connais un bon restaurant près d'ici ?
Show translation
Do you know a good restaurant near here?
Etymology
From Old French *conoistre*, from Latin *cognōscere* ("to get to know, recognise"), a compound of *co-* (together) + *gnōscere* (to know), itself related to Greek *gignṓskein* and the Proto-Indo-European root *\*ǵneh₃-* ("to know"). The same Latin root gives English "cognition", "recognize", and "incognito".
Cultural note
French famously splits "to know" into two verbs: *connaître* (familiarity — people, places, art) and *savoir* (facts, skills, information). Mixing them up is one of the most common intermediate-learner mistakes. A classic tip: *Je connais Paris* (I know Paris — I've been there) vs. *Je sais que Paris est en France* (I know that Paris is in France — a fact). Note: the 2016 spelling reform allows *connaitre* (without the circumflex) as an equally correct alternative, though the traditional *connaître* is still widely used in print.