I didn't know you liked something.

[NortT]

Hello again,
A man in a movie was watching a dog show. Another man said: "I didn't know you liked dogs". My question is why does he use the past tense with a verb "liked" instead of the present tense?
Is the next sentence is correct?
For example, I meet somebody at a party and say him/her: I did not know that you were (or are) here.

 

[Tdol]

You could also say like if you think they still like it. With your second sentence, use would be/were going to be here.

 

[Jill Dorchester]

"I didn't know you liked dogs."

The speaker has just this moment learned that his friend likes dogs. That's why know is in the present tense.
The friend's love of canines has been ongoing for some time; it dates back many years. That's why liked is in the past tense.

 

[BobK]

You could also say like if you think they still like it. With your second sentence, use would be/were going to be here.

:-? Depends on context doesn't it?

I'm in my flat and my friend arrives, but someone else buzzes him through the front door. He arrives at my flat on the fourth floor and rings the doorbell.
'I didn't know you were here.' ;-)

b

 

[NortT]

"I didn't know you liked dogs."

The speaker has just this moment learned that his friend likes dogs. That's why know is in the present tense.
The friend's love of canines has been ongoing for some time; it dates back many years. That's why liked is in the past tense.

Hi Jill, why did you say that "know" is in the present in "I didn't know"? I think it is in the past because of 'didn't'. It is just a negative sentence in the past tense, is not it?

:-? Depends on context doesn't it?

I'm in my flat and my friend arrives, but someone else buzzes him through the front door. He arrives at my flat on the fourth floor and rings the doorbell.
'I didn't know you were here.' ;-)

b

Hi, Bob. I think I got it, but maybe do you have any rule?