Знати is the central verb for knowing facts, answers, information, procedures, and languages. English uses know for both information and familiarity, but Serbian often contrasts знати with познавати “be familiar with a person, place, or body of work” and умети “possess an acquired practical skill.” These boundaries overlap in real usage, so a prohibition such as “never use знати with a person” is inaccurate.
Principal forms
| Form | знати (imperfective state) | сазнати (transition: find out) |
|---|---|---|
| present | знам, знаш, зна, знамо, знате, знају | сазнам, сазнаш, сазна, сазнамо, сазнате, сазнају |
| l-participle | знао / знала / знало; знали / знале / знала | сазнао / сазнала |
| imperative | знај, знајмо, знајте | сазнај, сазнајмо, сазнајте |
| future I, 1st singular | знаћу / ја ћу знати | сазнаћу / ја ћу сазнати |
| negative present | не знам, не знаш… | не сазнам, не сазнаш… |
The present is contracted: знам, not знајем. The third-person plural restores ј in знају. The l-participle has знао/знала, and the present carries no gender.
Не знам тачан број, али могу да га проверим.
I don't know the exact number, but I can check it.
Она је знала одговор пре него што је наставник завршио питање.
She knew the answer before the teacher finished the question.
Knowing a fact, answer, or piece of information
A noun naming what is known normally appears in the accusative. An object clitic can replace it or an animate object.
Знаш ли лозинку за бежичну мрежу?
Do you know the Wi-Fi password?
Тај податак знам, али датума не могу да се сетим.
I know that piece of information, but I can't remember the date.
Познајеш ли новог шефа? — Знам га из виђења, али нисмо разговарали.
Do you know the new boss? — I know him by sight, but we haven't spoken.
The last example is deliberately nuanced. Знам га is possible, especially in ordinary speech, but познајем га more clearly foregrounds established familiarity.
Clauses: знати да and embedded questions
Use знати да + finite clause for propositional knowledge. Use an interrogative word such as ко, шта, где, када, како, зашто when the content is an answer to an implicit question.
Знам да је воз већ кренуо, па ћу ићи аутобусом.
I know that the train has already left, so I'll go by bus.
Да ли неко зна где је остављен резервни кључ?
Does anyone know where the spare key was left?
Нисмо знали колико ће поправка трајати.
We didn't know how long the repair would take.
Unlike English, Serbian does not insert do in a direct question: Знаш ли…? / Да ли знаш…? The embedded question has normal subordinate word order and no question particle of its own.
Knowing how: да + present and the infinitive
Знати can express learned know-how. Both знати да + present and знати + infinitive are standard; everyday Serbian very often uses да + present.
Мој деда зна да поправи скоро сваки стари сат.
My grandfather knows how to repair almost any old clock.
Зна читати старе рукописе без много муке.
She knows how to read old manuscripts without much difficulty.
The infinitive version is not universally “more correct,” and the да construction is not a defective substitute. Distribution depends on the governing verb, region, style, and information structure.
Умети focuses more strongly on acquired competence, technique, or knack. Знати can state that someone knows how; умети often evaluates whether they have the practical ability to do it well or at all.
Знам да укључим програм, али не умем да подесим све опције.
I know how to start the program, but I don't know how to configure all the options.
The distinction is meaningful, not absolute. Speakers may choose either verb in overlapping skill contexts.
Languages: knowledge versus speaking
With a language as direct object, знати means know/have command of that language. Говорити focuses on speaking it.
Зна енглески одлично, али га ретко говори на послу.
She knows English very well, but she rarely speaks it at work.
The sentence separates knowledge from actual use. Serbian does not require a preposition before the language name.
Познавати and people, places, or works
Use познавати + accusative to foreground sustained familiarity: knowing a person, knowing a city well, or being acquainted with an author's work. Знати remains possible when the point is identification, awareness, or ordinary acquaintance in speech.
Добро познајем Нови Сад, па ми мапа није потребна.
I know Novi Sad well, so I don't need a map.
Знам ту песму, али не знам ко ју је написао.
I know that song, but I don't know who wrote it.
For the full decision system, including borderline person objects, see знати, познавати, умети.
No neutral perfective partner
Knowledge is a state, so знати has no neutral perfective meaning “know once/completely.” Сазнати marks entry into the state—find out, learn a fact. Упознати marks meeting or becoming acquainted, and научити marks learning or mastering. These are transitions with distinct lexical content.
Сазнали смо за промену тек кад смо стигли на станицу.
We found out about the change only when we arrived at the station.
На курсу сам упознала људе из пет различитих земаља.
I met people from five different countries on the course. (female speaker)
Do not use сазнати merely because the knowing occurs in the past. Знао сам адресу describes a state; сазнао сам адресу describes obtaining the information.
Се constructions and clitics
То се зна is passive-like or impersonal: “that is known / everyone knows that.” Не зна се means the information is unknown. With a plural animate subject, знати се can mean “know each other,” especially in ordinary conversation, though познавати се more clearly expresses mutual acquaintance.
Не зна се још ко ће водити следећи састанак.
It is not yet known who will lead the next meeting.
Њих двоје се знају још из основне школе.
The two of them have known each other since primary school.
Object clitics distinguish what is known: знам га “I know him,” знам је “I know it/her,” то знам “that I know.” Context resolves gender and reference.
Micro-dialogue
„Знаш ли ко поправља бицикле у овом крају?“ — „Познајем једног мајстора, али не знам да ли данас ради.“ — „Питај га, па ћемо сазнати.“
‘Do you know who repairs bicycles in this neighborhood?’ — ‘I know a repairman, but I don't know whether he's working today.’ — ‘Ask him and then we'll find out.’
The dialogue contrasts factual знати, personal familiarity познавати, and transition сазнати.
Common Mistakes
❌ Ја знајем где је пошта.
Incorrect — the contracted first-person present is знам.
✅ Знам где је пошта.
I know where the post office is.
❌ Сазнао сам његову адресу годинама.
Incorrect — сазнати is the transition of finding out, not a continuing state lasting for years.
✅ Знао сам његову адресу годинама.
I knew his address for years. (male speaker)
❌ Знам клавир, али не знам виолину.
Incorrect for playing an instrument — Serbian needs a verb such as свирати with знати or умети, not a bare instrument object.
✅ Умем да свирам клавир, али не умем да свирам виолину.
I can play the piano, but I can't play the violin.
❌ Не знам одакле ли је стигла порука.
Incorrect neutral embedded question — ли does not belong inside the ordinary одакле clause after знам.
✅ Не знам одакле је стигла порука.
I don't know where the message came from.
Practice Tasks
Task 1: Knowledge, familiarity, or skill?
Choose знати, познавати, or умети for: knowing an answer, knowing Belgrade well, being able to repair an engine, and knowing a colleague personally. Explain any case where two verbs are possible but change the focus.
Task 2: State or transition?
Contrast знати, сазнати, упознати, and научити in four short sentences. Identify what new state begins in each prefixed or transition verb.
Key Takeaways
- The present is знам, знаш, зна, знамо, знате, знају.
- Знати governs facts, answers, да clauses, embedded questions, know-how, and languages.
- Познавати foregrounds familiarity; умети foregrounds acquired practical competence, but real usage overlaps.
- Сазнати means find out and marks entry into knowledge; it is not a neutral perfective for every use of знати.
- Person objects with знати are possible, especially in speech; do not replace a real tendency with a false ban.
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- Accusative: The Direct ObjectA1 — The accusative as the default object of transitive verbs.
- The InfinitiveA1 — The -ti/-ci citation form and its uses.