to know
HSK level
知道 (zhīdào) is the everyday verb 'to know' — to know a fact, a piece of information, or that something is the case.
The crucial thing for English speakers is that Chinese splits the English word 'know' into two verbs: 知道 (to know information / facts) and 认识 (rènshi, to know / be acquainted with a person, place, or character). 我知道他 means 'I know about him / I know he exists'; 我认识他 means 'I know him personally.' The negative 不知道 ('I don't know') is one of the most useful sentences for any beginner.
Polite softeners often pair with 知道: 我不知道 + 啊/呀 ('oh, I don't know') sounds friendlier than the bare form. To ask 'do you know?'
Note: Universal everyday verb. The second syllable 道 is often pronounced as a neutral tone (zhīdao) in fast speech, though dictionaries may write zhīdào.
Character by character
Memory hook: 知 ('know') + 道 ('the way') = 'know the way' — to know how things are.
知道 appears in 1 Fluentide podcast episode at natural native speed — each with the full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.
Browse the full episode library我知道他是中国人。
Wǒ zhīdào tā shì Zhōngguó rén.
I know he's Chinese.
neutral
对不起，我不知道。
Duìbuqǐ, wǒ bù zhīdào.
Sorry, I don't know.
spoken
你知道他在哪儿吗？
Nǐ zhīdào tā zài nǎr ma?
Do you know where he is?
spoken
知道了，谢谢。
Zhīdào le, xièxie.
Got it, thanks.
spoken
妈妈知道我喜欢吃苹果。
Māma zhīdào wǒ xǐhuan chī píngguǒ.
Mom knows I like eating apples.
neutral
知道 is written with 20 strokes (知: 8, 道: 12). Tap replay to watch each character drawn again.
认识 means 'to know / be acquainted with' a person, place, or written character. 我认识他 = 'I've met him.' 我知道他 = 'I know of him.' Don't say 我知道李明 if you've actually met Li Ming — say 我认识李明.
Acquire it by listening
You just saw 知道 in 1 episode. Fluentide keeps feeding you news episodes at your level, so this word — and thousands like it — resurface in real sentences until they stick. Full pinyin and translation every time. Free to start.