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они не знали

they didn't know

→ они
phrase Rare #35,448
they didn't know Past-tense form used with a plural subject. It can be followed by a noun in the genitive, as in «они не знали французского» (they didn't know French), or by a clause introduced by «что» or «где» (that or where).
RU: Они не знали, когда начинается фильм.
EN: They didn't know when the movie started.

Они не знали, где их машина.

They didn’t know where their car was.

Они не знали, когда вернутся.

They didn't know when they would return.

Они не знали, а я знал, что у Города Бога теперь был хозяин.

They didn’t know, but I knew that the City of God now had a new master.

— Город бога (2002)

Они не знали, где их машины.

They didn't know where their cars were.

Они не знали французского.

They didn’t know French.