Conjugation
In the present tense, both "saber" and "conocer" have an irregular conjugation in the "yo" form. The rest of the verb is conjugated as a regular verb. The irregular conjugations of these verbs and their corresponding subject pronoun are noted in blue in the chart below.
Subject Pronoun |
Saber |
Conocer |
yo |
sé |
conozco |
tú |
sabes |
conoces |
usted, él/ella |
sabe |
conoce |
nosotros/as |
sabemos |
conocemos |
vosotros/as |
sabéis |
conocéis |
ustedes, ellos/ellas |
saben |
conocen |
Observations
- In Spanish, "to know" can translate to both "saber" and "conocer" and they are not interchangeable. Knowing which verb to choose depends on what it is that you "know".
- To avoid confusion with "saber" and "conocer", change the way you think about the translation of these verbs as follows:
English: To know = Español: saber
English: To meet, have been to, to be familiar with = Español: conocer
- If can you replace the word "know" in an English sentence with "to meet", "to have been to", or "to be familiar with", use "conocer".
Saber: facts, information, how to do something.
- If you "know" about something or about someone that actually exists; or something concrete used as a basis for further interpretation (truth), use "saber + que" since it is a fact. Example: Ella sabe que Paris está en Francia.
- If you "know" information about something that someone did (an invention, an event), use "saber + que" since it is now a piece of information. Example: Tú sabes que la fiesta es por la noche.
- If you "know" that someone knows how to do something (an action) --> "saber + [infinitive]", use "saber" since it is a skill. Example: Yo sé tocar la guitarra.
Conocer: people, places, things.
- If you "know" a person (a friend or someone famous), use "conocer" since it means "to be familiar with" that person. Example: Conozco a mi mejor amigo muy bien.
- If you "know" a person by having met them, use "conocer" since it means "to meet" someone. Example: Conocí a un artista ayer. ("Conocí" is conjugated in past tense: I met.)
- If you "know" a place by having visited and experienced it (a store, a city, a state, or a country), use "conocer" since it means "to have been to" that location. Example: Conozco mi universidad.
- If you "know" a particular thing by experiencing it (music, someone's writing, a play, a movie), use "conocer" since it means 'to have experienced' it. Example: Conozco la tragedia Romeo y Julieta.