Saber y Conocer

Both Saber and Conocer are translated into English with the verb "to Know." They represent two different types of "knowing". Conocer means "to Be Familiar with", while Saber means "to Know a fact". Clues that help you determine whether to use Conocer or Saber include:

We use Saber to describe what we know "how to do" by following it with an infinitive. Only Saber can be followed by an infinitive.

Yo sé montar a caballo.	I know how to horseback ride.
Jessica sabe bailar la salsa muy bien.	Jessica knows how to dance the salsa very well.
Vershara sabe jugar al golf, dibujar y pintar.	Vershara knows how to play golf, draw and paint.
Ustedes saben hablar español.	You all know how to speak Spanish.

We use Saber only when talking about facts and information. We can use to it explain that we know the "what-when-how-why-who"s of situations and events. Only Saber is followed with que, qué, donde, dónde, si, cuando [that, what, where, where?, if, when...] etc. These are words that introduce facts.

Rochelle sabe si hay una fiesta el viernes.	Rochelle knows if there is a party on Friday.
Yo sé que la tienda está cerrada.	I know (that) the store is closed.
Brian y Nicole saben donde están las clases aeróbicas.	Brian and Nicole know where the aerobics classes are.
Laarni, Dan y yo sabemos que hay un examen hoy.	Laarni, Dan and I know there is a test today.
Ellos saben cuándo es el concierto.	They know when the concert is.
Sabes el nombre de la mujer.	You know the woman's name.

Don't forget that Saber has an irregular "yo" form!

Conocer is used to mean you know a person or are familiar with a place. When we talk about knowing someone, we have to remember to use the Personal "a ". Don't forget that Conocer has an irregular "yo" form!

Conozco a María.	I know Maria.
Conoces bien San Francisco.	You know San Francisco really well.
Nick conoce un restaurante italiano buenísimo.	Nick knows an excellent Italian restaurant.

Review el "a" Personal

Java Pop-up games

More Practice!

Columns game for review with Preterite verb forms

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