"get to know"

Question

Hello,what does "get to know" mean below? what If it's said like " ..I will never understand his words"."If I cannot understand my friend's slience,I will never get to understand his words."Best Regards

Nona the brit · Accepted Answer

'get to know' isn't in that sentence?

Sunsail · Answer

yes,it is ,what is the difference then?
Thanks

Nona the brit · Answer

um, no it isn't. It says 'get to understand'.

Do you want an explanation of the difference between 'know' and 'understand' in this context?

Know would mean 'be familiar with'.

understand would mean 'knowing the meaning of what is said.

For example, someone might know a quote from a Shakespeare play, but not understand the archaic language used.

Sunsail · Answer

You are right.it must have been "know" not "understand" sorry

I m trying to understand what adds "get" into meaning? "get to know" or just "know" what is the difference
"I will know him soon"
"I will get to know him soon"

Thanks

CalifJim · Answer

sunsailI m trying to understand what ~~adds "get" into~~ "get" adds to the meaning?

get often adds the idea of having the opportunity (to do something). So the two sentences in each of these pairs have different meanings.

I will never go to Brazil. (Maybe I don't want to.)

I will never get to go to Brazil. (get = have the opportunity)

Susan never spoke to her father after he left for the war. (Maybe she was angry with him.)

Susan never got to speak to her father after he left for the war. (She probably wanted to speak to him.)
____

Without the negation, it usually implies that the subject made use of the opportunity presented, that what the subject did was something that not everyone is given the opportunity to do, and that the subject felt specially honored or rewarded in some way by what they did.

Peter marched first in the parade. (Bare statement of fact.)

Peter got to march first in the parade. (Peter wanted to march first; he had the opportunity to march first; he did march first. It was an honor to march first. His wish to be honored in that way was fulfilled.)

Janet conducted the school orchestra. (Bare statement of fact.)
Janet got to conduct the school orchestra. (Janet wanted to conduct the orchestra; she had the opportunity to do so; she did conduct the orchestra. It was a special wish of hers to conduct that orchestra. Her special wish was fulfilled.)

_____

get can also add the idea of just beginning to do something. The following two are completely different in meaning:

At the end of this course, you will know irregular verbs. (When you have finished this course, you will know those verbs (thoroughly), because during the course you will have studied them.)
At the end of this course, you will get to know irregular verbs. (When you reach the end portiion of this course, you will begin to know something about irregular verbs, because it is at the end of the course that we will begin to discuss them.)

CJ

"get to know"

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