Saber: Facts and Skills
In English, we use "to know" for everything. Spanish divides "knowing" into two different verbs depending on what you know.
Use saber when you know a fact, a piece of information, or how to do something. To express a skill, place an infinitive verb right after it (for example, saber nadar means "to know how to swim").
| Subject | Saber (to know facts/skills) |
|---|---|
| yo | sé |
| tú | sabes |
| él, ella, usted | sabe |
| nosotros | sabemos |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes | saben |
| Who knows the address of the new hotel? | ¿Quién sabe la dirección del hotel nuevo? |
| Do you know how to drive in the city? | ¿Sabes manejar en la ciudad? |
Conocer: Familiarity
Use conocer to say you are familiar or acquainted with a person, a place, or a specific thing (like a book, a movie, or a song).
When using conocer to say you know a person, remember to use the "personal a" right before the person's noun (e.g., conozco a un actor).
| Subject | Conocer (to know people/places) |
|---|---|
| yo | conozco |
| tú | conoces |
| él, ella, usted | conoce |
| nosotros | conocemos |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes | conocen |
| I know a very famous actor from Mexico. | Conozco a un actor muy famoso de México. |
| You sing very well, but you do not know that song. | Ustedes cantan muy bien, pero no conocen esa canción. |
Saber and Conocer Together
Notice how saber handles information and skills, while conocer expresses familiarity with people and places.
| I do not know the city and I do not know the address. | No conozco la ciudad y no sé la dirección. |
| I know the truth because I know your family. | Sé la verdad porque conozco a tu familia. |
| I do not know how to swim, but I know a fun place. | No sé nadar, pero conozco un lugar divertido. |
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