Saber vs. Conocer To Know
Saber vs. Conocer In Spanish, there are two verbs that express the idea "to know." These two verbs are "saber" and "conocer." The verb you choose depends upon the context in which it is used. These verbs are not interchangeable
Conjugations Both verbs are irregular in the YO form Saber Yo sé Tú sabes Él sabe Nosotros sabemos Ellos saben Conocer Yo conozco Tú conoces Él conoce Nosotros conocemos Ellos conocen
Basic Rules saber to know a fact, to know something thoroughly, to know how to do something (skills, something you’d put on a resume or could be tested on and pass) conocer to be know/be familiar with a person, place, or thing (general knowledge, not specific)
Saber To express knowledge or ignorance of a fact or information about something, use "saber." Juan sabe donde está María. Juan knows where Maria is. Yo no sé tu número de teléfono. I don't know your telephone number.
saber + infinitive To express knowledge or ignorance of a skill, or how to do something, use saber + infinitive. María sabe conducir. Maria knows how to drive. No sé nadar muy bien. I don't know how to swim very well.
Conocer To say that one is or is not familiar with a person, a place, or an object, use conocer. Yo no conozco a María. (personal a) I don't know Maria. Alberto y Alfredo conocen Madrid. Alberto and Alfredo know (are familiar with) Madrid.
saber VS. conocer Use saber or conocer, depending upon the context. Juan no sabe nada de inglés. Juan doesn't know any English. Él sabe matemáticas. He knows mathematics. Juan conoce la literatura española. Juan is familiar with Spanish literature.
Practicamos Yo ____________a Juan. Somos muy amigos. I know Juan. We're good friends. Busco el libro. ¿_________ usted dónde está? I'm looking for the book. Do you know where it is? Tengo que llamar a María. ¿__________ (tú) su número de teléfono? I have to call Maria. Do you know her phone number? Pablo es niño. No ____________conducir. Pablo is a child. He doesn't know how to drive. ¿___________ a los vecinos? Do you (informal) know the neighbors? conozco Sabe Sabes sabe Conoces
El fin