He is familiar with this area.

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keannu

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Someone asked me if this can be replaced by "He is used to this area", and I said "be familiar with" is "to be well aware of something like your family like knowing their habits, personalities, etc", while "be used to" is "just accustomed to something even if you don't completely understand it". But I'm not sure of the difference.

im-127
ex) He is familiar with this area.
 

Rover_KE

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'He is familiar with this area' means he knows his way around it.
 

keannu

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What about "He is used to this area"? Does it sound awkward? Maybe "He is used to playing pool" would be natural. As I know, "be used to + any noun form" is quite widely used.
 
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Rover_KE

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No — 'He is used to this area' is fine.

He knows the names of all the streets; he can direct you to particular shops, churches and pubs; he can advise you to stay away from certain quarters after dark; and he knows a lot of the people who live there.

. . . just like you are used to the area where you live.

Rover
 

keannu

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Thanks a lot! Then what do you think is the difference between "be used to" and "be familiar with"? No difference?
 

Tdol

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He is familiar with/used to 19th century history.

Identical?
 

keannu

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Are you asking others? Or do you imply the two are the same?
 

Tdol

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I'm asking you- they're not exactly the same to me.
 

keannu

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My feeling is "be used to" is more of "adjustment" to something, while "familiar with" more of "knowing or well aware of something". So the latter sounds more informed than the former, but I'm not sure.
 

Tdol

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Yes, so knowing or being well aware is more likely in this context.
 
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