One thing I noticed in Chinese was how the language separates what English just calls “knowing”. There isn’t just one “to know”. There are different kinds of knowing, and if you mix them up, things can get strange fast.

Take 知道 (zhīdào) and 认识 (rènshi). Both translate to “know”, but they aren’t interchangeable.

知道 is for information – knowing facts, data, whether the meeting is at 4 PM or whether penguins can fly (they can’t, in case you didn’t 知道).
认识, on the other hand, is for knowing people – when you’ve met someone, when you’re acquainted beyond just recognizing a face.

So what this basically means is:
• You can 知道 about Einstein, but you can’t 认识 him (unless you’ve time travelled).
• You can 认识 your neighbor but not 知道 their life secrets (unless they overshare).
• Misusing it might lead to saying something like: 我知道你 (wǒ zhīdào nǐ), which sounds like “I know of your existence” and not “I know you personally”.

That’s kind of nice, isn’t it? That the language reserves a different word for people, and it marks the difference between information and connection.

In English, “I know” can mean anything from “I’ve heard of them” to “they’re one of my closest friends”. But in Chinese, the word itself asks: do you know the fact, or do you know the person?