HSK Level 1

认识

rèn shi

to know [be familiar with]

Mobile & Tablet App

Master with Writing Practice

Practice writing with stroke order guidance, audio pronunciation, and interactive exercises in our mobile app.

Step-by-step stroke order animations

Native speaker audio pronunciation

Interactive writing recognition

Practice Now
Character writing practice in mobile app

Example Sentences

我认识他。

wǒ rèn shi tā.

I know him.

你不认识我吗?

nǐ bù rèn shi wǒ ma?

Don't you know me?

我们认识很久了。

wǒ men rèn shi hěn jiǔ le.

We have known each other for a long time.

Synonyms

熟悉 (shúxi)

familiar with

了解 (liǎojiě)

understand

认识 (rènshi)

know

Antonyms

陌生 (mò shēng)

unfamiliar

不认识 (bù rènshi)

don't know

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 认识 (rèn shi) is composed of two characters: 认 (rèn) and 识 (shí). The character 认 originally meant "to look at" or "to observe", and later extended to mean "to recognize" or "to know". The character 识 originally meant "to distinguish" or "to discern", and later extended to mean "to understand" or "to be familiar with". When combined, the two characters 认识 (rèn shi) mean "to know" or "to be familiar with".The word 认识 (rèn shi) can be used in a variety of contexts. For example, it can be used to talk about knowing a person, knowing a place, or knowing a thing. It can also be used to talk about understanding a concept or being familiar with a topic.The word 认识 (rèn shi) is an important word in Chinese, and it is used frequently in everyday conversation. By understanding the etymology of this word, HSK learners can gain a deeper understanding of its meaning and usage.