知る means to learn or come to know a fact; 分かる means to understand or grasp it. For an existing state of knowledge, use 知っている. In ordinary conversation its negative is usually 知らない. 分かる often takes が for what is understood, while 知る and 知っている can take を for the information known.
also written shiru / wakaru / 知っている / 知らない / 分かりました
知る — to come to have the information · 分かる — to understand, to work it out · 知っている is 'know'; 知る alone is not
Sentences
6 sentences, word by word
知っている — having the information
polite
。
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彼
かれ ［1］
he
pronoun · whose name is known
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の
の
links noun to noun
particle · A の B = B belonging to A
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名前
なまえ ［0］
name
noun · the information held
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を
を
marks the direct object
particle · pronounced お
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知って
しって
know
て-form of 知る · a change verb, so ている gives the state
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います
います
(have that state)
polite いる · the information arrived and is still held
知っているN4to know
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I know his name.
知らない — the lopsided negative
polite
、。
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すみません
すみません
sorry
expression · softening the refusal that follows
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その
その
that
demonstrative · the person just mentioned
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人
ひと ［0］
person
noun · deliberately vague
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は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
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知りません
しりません
don't know
polite negative of 知る · ordinary negative for not knowing
知らないN4don't know
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Sorry, I don't know that person.
分かる — it takes が
polite
。
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この
この
this
demonstrative · the word in front of you
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言葉
ことば ［3］
word
noun · a word or an expression
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の
の
links noun to noun
particle · A の B = B belonging to A
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意味
いみ ［1］
meaning
noun · the thing that fails to become clear
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が
が
marks what isn't clear
particle · 分かる commonly takes が, like 好き and できる
が分かるN4understand — takes が
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分かりません
わかりません
don't understand
polite negative of 分かる · unable to work it out
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I don't understand the meaning of this word.
分かる — the moment it clicks
plain past
、。
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何度も
なんども
over and over
adverb · 何度 how many times ＋ も
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読んで
よんで
read and
て-form of 読む · linking to the result
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やっと
やっと
finally
adverb · after effort and delay
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意味
いみ ［1］
meaning
noun · what became clear
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が
が
marks what became clear
particle · 分かる has no doer — the meaning is what did the becoming
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分かった
わかった
became clear
plain past of 分かる · the moment of comprehension
分かるN4to understand
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I read it over and over, and finally it made sense.
知る — the moment of learning
plain past
。
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ニュース
ニュース
news
noun · loanword, always katakana
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で
で
in; at — where it happens
particle · where the action happens, or the manner it happens in
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その
その
that
demonstrative · the matter already under discussion
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こと
こと
the act of; the fact of
noun · turns the verb in front into a noun
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を
を
marks the direct object
particle · pronounced お
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知った
しった
found out
plain past of 知る · the moment the information arrived
知るN4come to know
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I found out about it on the news.
ご存じ — the honorific
polite
？
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田中さん
たなかさん
Mr Tanaka
name ＋ さん · the person being asked about
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を
を
marks the direct object
particle · pronounced お
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ご存じ
ごぞんじ ［2］
know (honorific)
honorific noun for 知る · about the listener's knowledge
ご存じN3know — honorific
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です
です
(polite ending)
copula · ご存じ is a noun, so it takes です
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か
か
(question)
particle · turning it into a polite enquiry
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Do you happen to know Mr Tanaka?
Structure
How each verb behaves
Thingを＋知っている
彼の名前を知っています. Takes を. 知る is a change verb, so ている gives the resulting state.
知る → 知らない·not 知っていない
The usual positive state is 知っている; the ordinary negative is 知らない.
Thingが＋分かる
意味が分かりません. が is usual for the thing understood, though を is also found in some constructions. One exception is worth knowing: 気持ちを分かってほしい, where を is normal because someone is being asked to do the understanding.
ご存じですか·存じません
The honorific and humble forms of 知る. ご存じ about the other person, 存じる about yourself.
Meaning
Information, comprehension, and the ている asymmetry
知る can describe acquiring information. For the state of already knowing, Japanese normally uses 知っています. 知ります usually points to learning or finding out rather than simply having the information.
The usual negative is 知りません. It is the ordinary counterpart to 知っています for not knowing a fact. 知っていません can occur when the continuing state itself is in focus, so it is not impossible.
分かる commonly takes が.日本語が分かります is a basic pattern. を also occurs in some constructions, so the particle is a strong tendency rather than an absolute ban.
They answer different questions.知っていますか asks whether you have the information. 分かりますか asks whether you follow. A teacher finishing an explanation asks the second; someone looking for an address asks the first.
Choose the meaning before the politeness strategy.知りません says you do not know; 分かりません says you do not understand or do not have an answer. Either can be polite in context; 分かりかねます is a formal way to say an answer is difficult to give.
Watch out
Where 知る and 分かる go wrong
知ります for “I know”
知る is the moment of finding out, so the present tense promises future discovery. For “I know,” it is 知っています.
知っていません
The negative does not take ている. It is 知りません. The verb is lopsided, and this is the half learners regularise by mistake.
意味を分かる
分かる takes が: 意味が分かる. Nothing is being acted on — the meaning becomes clear to you.
Also asked
Questions people ask about 知る and 分かる
What's the core difference?
知る is about having the information; 分かる is about following it. You can 知っている a rule and still not 分かる why it works.
Why is it 知っています but 知りません?
知る is a change of state, so the positive needs ている to describe the result. The negative describes the absence of the change, and takes no ている. It is irregular and worth memorising as a pair.
Is 知りません rude?
知りません can sound curt in some situations, while 分かりません may sound softer. Choose by meaning first: the latter can also mean “I do not understand.”
Which do I use for a language?
分かる: 日本語が分かります. 日本語を知っています would mean you know of its existence, which is not what anyone means to say.
What are ご存じ and 存じる?
The keigo pair. ご存じですか asks respectfully whether the other person knows; 存じません humbly says you do not. Never swap them — that lowers the wrong person.
Does 分かる have a ている form?
Yes, and it is less common. 分かっている means you already grasp it and often carries impatience — 分かってるよ is “yes, I know, you can stop explaining.”
