كما في «علمت زيدًا أسدًا»
As in, “I knew Zayd to be a lion.”
The verb ʿalimtu presents the comparison as something strongly recognised: Zayd's lion-like bravery is treated as readily established. It does not assert that Zayd literally belongs to the animal species lion.
By contrast, «حسبت زيدًا أسدًا», “I supposed Zayd a lion,” carries a sense of supposition, distance or amazement. The compared terms remain Zayd and the lion, but the choice between knowing and supposing affects the rhetorical suggestion. The verbal form can thus contribute to the force of a comparison without changing its underlying terms.