知ります（しります、shirimasu）
- to know

The Japanese verb 知ります (pronounced shirimasu) generally means "to know," "to learn," "to find out," or "to realize." It describes the state of having information, being aware of something, or becoming acquainted with something. The nuance can vary depending on the context, but the core meaning revolves around the acquisition or possession of knowledge. It is a polite form of the verb.

⚫︎彼を知りますか？ Translation: Do you know him? ⚫︎その事実を知りませんでした。 Translation: I didn't know that fact. ⚫︎英語を知りたいです。 Translation: I want to learn English.

⚫︎知ります is used in various situations where you want to express the concept of knowing or becoming aware of something. ⚫︎It can refer to knowing facts, people, places, skills, or anything that can be learned. ⚫︎It is often used with the particle を to indicate the object of knowledge (what is known). ⚫︎When asking a question about knowledge, the question particle か is often added at the end of the sentence. ⚫︎Use the polite form 知ります in most conversations.

⚫︎The base form of the verb is 知る (shiru). ⚫︎The polite form, 知ります, is formed by adding ます (masu) to the verb stem. ⚫︎It is typically written in hiragana as しります. ⚫︎The kanji is 知 and you can also write the verb as 知ります. ⚫︎Okurigana: The okurigana is ります.

⚫︎分かる (wakaru): To understand, to know (often used for understanding a situation or concept) ⚫︎承知する (shouchi suru): To be aware of, to acknowledge (more formal) ⚫︎認識する (ninshiki suru): To recognize, to be aware of (formal) ⚫︎覚える (oboeru): To memorize, to remember (but can imply knowing)

⚫︎知らない (shiranai): Do not know, to be unaware (negative form) ⚫︎忘れる (wasureru): To forget ⚫︎不明 (fumei): Unknown

私は彼の名前を知りません。 ・Translation: I don't know his name. ・Explanation: This sentence uses the negative form of 知ります (知りません) to indicate that the speaker is unaware of the person's name.

そのニュースを知りませんでした。 ・Translation: I didn't know that news. ・Explanation: This sentence shows the speaker did not have prior knowledge of the news.

The kanji 知 combines the components for "arrow" (矢) and "mouth" (口), which suggests a metaphor related to communicating or conveying information. The meaning evolved over time to become the verb "to know." The word's origins are deeply rooted in classical Japanese.