"I've known him since" or "I know him since"? (2025)

To say that you know a friend of yours -so you still know him, for sure- since a long time, should you say "I've known him since a long time", "i've been knowing him since a lot of time" or "I know him since a long time"?
and is there any difference if, instead of "a long of time" I say a specif date?

There isn't really any background, just one of my usual doubts.

I think the former is the most correct form, but still the fact that I know the guy at the present time, makes me a little confused.
Maybe all of them are correct?

Someone could please shed some light on this one for me?

Thank you very much!

It should be "I've known him for a long time" or "I've known him since 1976/we were children/college." With "since" you need to give a particular condition of some kind. It is assumed that the friend is still alive.

If the friend has died, you would say "I knew him since we were children." This is how we would indicate that he is no longer alive.

Thank you guys!

But what about you there in the States, you don't really make no distinction between the past simple and the present perfect, no?

In this example, simple past and present perfect imply something different:

Simple past:
I knew him for many years.
Implies that he is dead or that you no longer have any contact with him.

Present perfect:
I have known him for many years.
Implies that you still know him, it is a continuing truth.

We would never say "I know him since"

However, there is a vernacular where you will hear:
"I've been knowing him all my life."

I see I see, thank you very much.

And if I wanna say about someone dead "he was the smartest person I've ever met" can I use the present persect to give the meaning that till to this day I've never met anyone as smart as he was?

As I mentioned before, we would tend to use the simple past, in my opinion:

"He was the smartest person I ever met."

I can imagine saying:

"He was the smartest person I've ever met."

It sounds a little jarring to me, though.

If the sentence were worded a little differently I can see using the present perfect:

"I have never met a smarter person."

JamesM said:

It should be "I've known him for a long time" or "I've known him since 1976/we were children/college." With "since" you need to give a particular condition of some kind. It is assumed that the friend is still alive.

If the friend has died, you would say "I knew him since we were children." This is how we would indicate that he is no longer alive.

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Hello everyone! 😀 I was just curious to know if 'I know him from last April' means the same as 'I have known him since last April'. Can we use the simple present and present perfect tense in this same context i.e. I came to know him last April and I still know & am in touch with him? Could you please let me know?
Thank you...

No, you need "since" and present perfect in that context.

I met him last April and we're still in touch, (or at least I still think of him as "an acquaintance" of mine).