Sentences with Saber and Conocer

Saber and conocer: the basic difference

Spanish has two common verbs that translate as “to know,” and they are not interchangeable.

• Saber is used for facts, information, and learned skills (“know that” or “know how to”).
• Conocer is used for being familiar with people, places, and things, or for meeting someone (“know someone” or “be acquainted with”).

A helpful shortcut: if you could follow “know” with a fact, a clause, or “how to,” lean toward saber. If you mean to be acquainted with a person or place, lean toward conocer.

Present tense forms

Both verbs have an irregular “yo” form in the present tense (sé and conozco). The other forms follow regular patterns.

Sentences with saber

Knowing facts or information

• Sé la respuesta. (I know the answer.)
• ¿Sabes dónde está la estación? (Do you know where the station is?)
• Ella sabe que vamos a llegar tarde. (She knows that we are going to arrive late.)
• No sabemos cuánto cuesta. (We do not know how much it costs.)
• Ellos saben mi número de teléfono. (They know my phone number.)

Knowing how to do something (saber + infinitive)

• Mi hermano sabe nadar. (My brother knows how to swim.)
• Sé tocar la guitarra. (I know how to play the guitar.)
• ¿Sabes hablar francés? (Do you speak French? / Do you know how to speak French?)
• Mis abuelos no saben usar el móvil. (My grandparents do not know how to use the phone.)

Sentences with conocer

Knowing or meeting people

• Conozco a tu hermana. (I know your sister.)
• ¿Conoces a mi profesor? (Do you know my teacher?)
• Ellos conocen al director. (They know the director.)
• Quiero conocer a tus padres. (I want to meet your parents.)

Knowing places

• Conocemos bien Madrid. (We know Madrid well.)
• ¿Conoces un buen restaurante por aquí? (Do you know a good restaurant around here?)
• Ella conoce México. (She is familiar with Mexico.)

Knowing things (being familiar with)

• Conozco esa canción. (I know that song.)
• No conocen este libro. (They are not familiar with this book.)

Note the personal “a”: when the object of conocer is a specific person, Spanish adds a (“Conozco a tu hermana”). It is not used before places or things.

Same sentence, different verb

Some pairs show how the meaning changes with the verb.

• “Sé la ciudad” is not natural for “I know the city.” Use Conozco la ciudad. (I am familiar with the city.)
• Sé el poema de memoria. (I know the poem by heart; I have it memorized.) vs. Conozco el poema. (I am familiar with the poem.)
• Sé quién es Ana. (I know who Ana is, as a fact.) vs. Conozco a Ana. (I know Ana personally.)

Saber and conocer in the preterite

In the preterite, both verbs usually take on a slightly different meaning, describing a moment of change.

• Supe la noticia ayer. (I found out the news yesterday.)
• Ella supo la verdad. (She found out the truth.)
• Conocí a Marta en 2015. (I met Marta in 2015.)
• Nos conocimos en la universidad. (We met at the university.)

Compare with the imperfect, which describes a continuing state:

• Sabía la verdad. (I knew the truth.)
• Conocía a Marta desde niños. (I had known Marta since we were children.)

Quick test for choosing between them

1. Is the thing a person, place, or thing you can be familiar with? Choose conocer.
2. Is it a fact, a question word clause (where, who, how much), or a skill with an infinitive? Choose saber.
3. Do you mean to meet someone for the first time? Use conocer.
4. Do you mean to find out? In the preterite, use saber.

Common mistakes

• Using saber for people: “Sé a Juan” is incorrect. Say “Conozco a Juan.”
• Using conocer with an infinitive for skills: “Conozco nadar” is incorrect. Say “Sé nadar.”
• Forgetting the personal a with people.
• Using the wrong “yo” form: it is sé and conozco, not “sabo” or “conoco.”

Frequently asked questions

When should you use saber?

Use saber for facts, information, and learned skills, usually with saber + infinitive for “know how to.”

When would you use conocer?

Use conocer to be familiar with people, places, or things, and to say you met someone.

What is the meaning of saber and conocer?

Both can be translated as “to know.” Saber means to know facts or how to do something. Conocer means to know in the sense of being acquainted or familiar.

Can saber mean anything other than “to know”?

Yes. Followed by “a,” it can mean “to taste of,” as in “Sabe a limón” (It tastes like lemon).