Anche tu hai fatto questo errore? - Business English tips

Hi there,

I hope you’ve had a great week.

Welcome back to The English Breakfast—the newsletter for Italian professionals who want to feel more confident using English at work.

Grab yourself a coffee and let’s go…

A Common Mistake

“I know him! I knew him in my last job” ❌

This sentence is incorrect. But why?

Watch this week’s short video to find out what the problem is and how to fix it 🇮🇹 ▶️ 

@danieltannerenglish

Come si dice “conoscere” in inglese? 🤔 #ingleseperitaliani #learnenglish #imparareinglese #englishtips #businessenglish #pronunciation #im... See more

📓 Here’s what you need to know

In English, conoscere can translate to know or meet, but the choice depends on when the action happens.

Use meet for the first time:

Use meet when you’re talking about the moment you are introduced to someone for the first time.

• Ho conosciuto Luca a una festa.
  I met Luca at a party.

• Quando hai conosciuto tua moglie?
  When did you meet your wife?

Tip: Italians often say "I knew him at university" – ❌ this sounds strange in English!
Use met if you're talking about your first meeting.

Use know for an existing relationship:

Use know when you're talking about already having a relationship or being familiar with a person or thing.

• Conosco Giulia da anni.
  I've known Giulia for years.

• Conosci questo film?
  Do you know this film?

Tip: After the first meeting, use know – just like in Italian when you say "Lo conosco bene."

Bonus: "Get to know"

If you're talking about the process of becoming familiar with someone or something over time, use get to know:

• Abbiamo passato l’estate insieme e ci siamo conosciuti meglio.
  We spent the summer together and got to know each other better.

🎲 Quick Quiz: Know or Meet?

Let’s check your understanding.

Can you choose the correct word in each sentence?

Here’s something a little more difficult 💪 

How to avoid awkward conversation

Have you ever found yourself struggling to make conversation with someone you don’t know well or haven’t seen in a while?

It’s hard enough in your own language, let alone in English!

Luckily self-confessed “recovering awkward person“ Vanessa Van Edwards is here to give us her favourite conversation openers.

While watching, pay attention to her use of the words “know“ and “meet”.

📧 Reply to this email and let me know which opener was your favourite.

🗣 Want to Speak English with Confidence?

If you want to:

• Feel relaxed speaking English at work

• Understand your English-speaking colleagues

• Learn in a fun, professional way

…then why not take a private course with me?

My lessons are personalised and designed to help you feel more natural and confident in real conversations.

📩 Just hit reply and tell me your goals—I’ll help you get there!

All right, that’s it for today’s edition. What did you think? Reply to this email and let me know 📧 

“😍 Loved it”

“🙂 It was OK”

“😐️ There was nothing for me“

Have a great week.

Dan

#englishlesson #learnenglish #learnenglishforfree #speakenglish #howtospeakenglishfluently #englishconversation #englishgrammar #fluentenglish #businessenglish #ingleseperitaliani #imparainglese #inglese #ingleseperlavoro #pronunciainglese #grammaticainglese #englishteacher #englishcoach #insegnatediinglese

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