In English, the verb "to know" covers everything: knowing a person, a fact, or how to do something. French uses two distinct verbs: connaître and savoir.
The verb connaître (to be familiar with)
Use connaître to mean to be familiar with a person, place, or thing. It is followed directly by a noun.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|
| je | je connais |
| tu | tu connais |
| il / elle / on | il connaît |
| nous | nous connaissons |
| vous | vous connaissez |
| ils / elles | ils connaissent |
Notice the -ss- in the plural forms.
The verb savoir (to know a fact / how to do something)
Use savoir when you know a fact, a piece of information, or how to do something. It is usually followed by a question word (like où, quand, or comment), a conjunction (like que), or an infinitive verb.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|
| je | je sais |
| tu | tu sais |
| il / elle / on | il sait |
| nous | nous savons |
| vous | vous savez |
| ils / elles | ils savent |
Followed by an infinitive, savoir means knowing how to do something.
Putting them together
You connaissez (are familiar with) a noun, but you savez (know) a specific detail.
When exploring a city, you will often need both verbs. Because s'orienter (to find one's way) is an infinitive, use savoir to say you know how to do it.
Because un raccourci (a shortcut) is a noun, use connaître.
