The verb saber (to know) is one of the most frequently used verbs in Portuguese -- and one of the easiest irregular verbs to learn. Only the eu form breaks from the regular pattern: sei replaces what would be sabo entirely. Every other form follows standard -er conjugation from the stem sab-.
Conjugation
| Person | Form | English |
|---|---|---|
| eu | sei | I know |
| tu | sabes | you know |
| ele / ela / você | sabe | he/she knows; you know |
| nós | sabemos | we know |
| (vós) | (sabeis) | (you all know) |
| eles / elas / vocês | sabem | they know; you all know |
The eu form sei is completely unpredictable -- it shares no stem with the infinitive. From tu onwards, the verb behaves exactly like a regular -er verb: take the stem sab-, add -es, -e, -emos, -eis, -em. This makes saber one of the least disruptive irregular verbs to memorise.
Knowing facts and information
The core meaning of saber is to know a fact, a piece of information, or the answer to a question.
Sei a resposta.
I know the answer.
Sabes onde fica o correio?
Do you know where the post office is?
Knowing how to -- saber + infinitive
When followed by an infinitive, saber means "to know how to" -- expressing a learned ability or skill.
Sabes nadar?
Can you swim? (Do you know how to swim?)
Sei cozinhar bem.
I know how to cook well.
This construction is the standard way to express learned abilities in Portuguese. Where English often uses "can," Portuguese uses saber rather than poder when the ability comes from knowledge or training.
Saber a -- to taste of
A meaning that surprises many learners: saber can mean "to taste" or "to taste of." This use requires the preposition a.
A sopa sabe bem.
The soup tastes good.
Sabe a quê?
What does it taste like?
Sabe a chocolate.
It tastes like chocolate.
Note that saber bem (to taste good) and saber mal (to taste bad) do not require the preposition, but "to taste of something" always uses saber a.
| Portuguese | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sabe bem. | It tastes good. | No preposition needed |
| Sabe mal. | It tastes bad. | No preposition needed |
| Sabe a limão. | It tastes of lemon. | Preposition a required |
| Sabe a quê? | What does it taste like? | Preposition a required |
Saber vs Conhecer
This is one of the most important distinctions for Portuguese learners. Both translate as "to know" in English, but they are not interchangeable.
| Saber | Conhecer | |
|---|---|---|
| Used for | facts, information, skills | people, places, experiences |
| Followed by | clause, noun (fact), infinitive | noun (person/place/thing) |
| Meaning | "to know" (intellectually) | "to be acquainted with" |
| Example | Sei falar inglês. | Conheço Londres. |
| Translation | I know how to speak English. | I know London. |
Sabes a morada?
Do you know the address? (the information)
Conheces o Pedro?
Do you know Pedro? (are you acquainted with him)
The rule of thumb: if you could replace "know" with "am familiar with" or "have met," use conhecer. If you could replace it with "am aware of" or "know how to," use saber.
Sei lá
The expression sei lá is extremely common in everyday European Portuguese. It means "I don't know" with a slightly dismissive or resigned tone -- roughly equivalent to "beats me" or "no idea" in English.
Sei lá onde ele está.
I have no idea where he is.
Despite containing sei (I know), the expression carries the opposite meaning. You will hear it constantly in informal conversation, often as a standalone reply: "Quando é que ele chega?" -- "Sei lá!"
Que eu saiba
The expression que eu saiba (as far as I know) uses the present subjunctive of saber and appears frequently in EP conversation. It hedges a statement, signalling that the speaker is not entirely certain.
Que eu saiba, ele ainda mora em Lisboa.
As far as I know, he still lives in Lisbon.
This is a useful phrase to learn as a fixed expression, even before studying the subjunctive in depth.
Common mistakes
1. Using conhecer for facts. "I know the answer" is Sei a resposta, not Conheço a resposta. Conhecer is for familiarity with people, places, and things -- not for factual knowledge.
2. Using saber for people. "Do you know Maria?" is Conheces a Maria?, not Sabes a Maria?. Saber does not work for personal acquaintance.
3. Forgetting the preposition in saber a. "It tastes like lemon" is Sabe a limão, not Sabe limão. The preposition a is required when naming what something tastes of.
4. Confusing saber + infinitive with poder + infinitive. Sei nadar (I know how to swim -- I have the skill) is different from Posso nadar (I can swim -- circumstances allow it). Both translate as "I can swim" in English, but the distinction matters in Portuguese.
Related Topics
- Present Indicative OverviewA1 — Uses and formation of the present tense in Portuguese
- Present Indicative of PoderA1 — The verb poder in the present tense
- Present Indicative of QuererA2 — The verb querer in the present tense
- Preterite of SaberB1 — The verb saber in the preterite
- Irregular Present SubjunctiveB1 — The fifteen or so verbs whose present subjunctive cannot be built from the eu-form stem, organized by frequency with full paradigms.