One of the most confusing verb pairs in Spanish is the SABER vs. CONOCER one. Both of these verbs mean TO KNOW in English; that’s why in order to master these Spanish verbs, students need to understand the differences and how to know when to use the correct verb.
Today we will explore their subtle difference in meaning, uses, and conjugation, and we will illustrate them with clear examples. This will help you to make an informed decision about which verb form to use depending on your intended meaning.
Saber vs. Conocer: Their subtle difference in meaning
It is true that both verbs refer to knowing something, but the nature of that knowledge differs. The general rule could be as follows
| SABER VS. CONOCER | |
| Saber | Conocer |
| Means knowing information. The process is mental or it involves learning abilities. Ej. No sé nada de Juan. I know nothing about Juan. (I don’t have any information about Juan) Ej. Sé bastante sobre Costa Rica. I know quite a lot about Costa Rica. (I’ve studied or read about this country) | Means knowing something by experience. The process is factual, it involves experiencing something. Ej. No conozco a Juan. I don’t know Juan. (I’ve never met Juan) Ej. Conozco bastante bien Costa Rica. I know Costa Rica quite a lot. (I’ve been there) |
Let’s now explore their differences in depth.
When to use SABER
1) To refer to ability, meaning that you can do something or that you know how to do it because you’ve learned it.
Ej. El niño ya sabe andar en bicicleta.
The boy can ride a bike already.
Ej. Sé tocar el arpa desde los cinco años.
I can play the harp since I was five.
Ej. Mi hermana sabe preparar una lasaña exquisita.
(NOT “Mi hermana sabe cómo preparar…”)
My sister knows how to prepare exquisite lasagna.
- Notice that in Spanish, we do not use cómo in this sentence. The structure is: saber + infinitivo.
Ej Mi abuela sabía andar a caballo”.
My grandmother knew how to ride a horse.
2) To say that you have information or are acquainted with something. In this case, saber can be accompanied by an interrogative pronoun.
Ej. No sé a qué hora llega Mario.
I don’t know what time Mario arrives.
Ej. Quién sabe dónde estará la llave.
Who knows where the key could be.
3) To mean that you know something by heart, i.e., lyrics, a poem, etc. Compare these sentences:
| SABER VS. CONOCER | |
| Saber | Conocer |
| Sé la letra de esta canción. I know the lyrics to this song. (I have memorized it [mental process]. I can sing it) Los estudiantes saben el poema de Mario Benedetti. The students know the poem by Mario Benedetti. (They can recite it. They know it by heart) | Conozco la letra de esta canción. I know the lyrics to this song. (I’ve read it or heard it [experience], but I haven´t memorized it. I can’t sing it) Los estudiantes conocen el poema de Mario Benedetti. The students know the poem by Mario Benedetti. (They’ve read it, but they can’t recite it) |
When to use CONOCER
1) To say that you’ve been to a place or that you’ve known a person for some time. It requires the experience of having been to a place or having shared time with a person. Also, when it comes to people, the verb requires the preposition “a”.
Ej. Conozco Madrid. Estuve allí el año pasado.
I know Madrid. I was there last year.
Ej. Conozco bien a María porque es mi vecina.
I know María well because she’s my neighbor.
When we refer to people, it can also mean seeing somebody for the first time.
Ej. Mañana conoceré a mis suegros.
I will meet my parents-in-law tomorrow.
Ej. Ayer mi madre conoció a mi novio.
Yesterday, my mother met my boyfriend.
How to conjugate CONOCER and SABER
Not only do we need to know when to use SABER and CONOCER, but also we need to learn their conjugation because both of these Spanish verbs are irregular verbs in some tenses. Grammatically,
- SABER can be followed by an infinitive, an interrogative pronoun, a noun, or a noun preceded by the prepositions “de” or “sobre”.
Ej. No sé quién es Juan. (Lack of information; interrogative pronoun)
I don’t know who Juan is.
Ej. Pedro sabe cocinar muy bien. (Ability; infinitive)
Pedro can cook very well.
Ej. No sé la verdad. (Lack of information; noun)
I don’t know the truth.
Ej. No sé mucho de / sobre este tema. (Information; de/sobre + noun)
I don’t know much about this topic.
- CONOCER can only be followed by either a noun or a noun phrase.
Ej. No conozco Europa. (Being in a place)
I don’t know Europe.
Ej. Mi padre no conoce la ciudad donde vivo. (Being in a place)
My father doesn’t know the city where I live.
Ej. Hoy conoceré a mi nuevo jefe. (Seeing someone for the First time)
Today I will meet my new boss.
| PRESENTE SIMPLE | |
| Saber | Conocer |
| Yo sé Tú sabes / Vos sabés Él / Ella / Usted sabe Nosotros / Nosotras sabemos Ustedes saben Ellos / Ellas saben | Yo conozco Tú conoces / Vos conocés Él / Ella / Usted conoce Nosotros / Nosotras conocemos Ustedes conocen Ellos / Ellas conocen |
| PRETÉRITO INDEFINIDO | |
| Saber (irregular) | Conocer (regular) |
| Yo super Tú / Vos supiste Él / Ella / Usted supo Nosotros / Nosotras supimos Ustedes supieron Ellos / Ellas supieron | Yo conocí Tú / Vos conociste Él / Ella / Usted conoció Nosotros / Nosotras conocimos Ustedes conocieron Ellos / Ellas conocieron |
Ej. Ellos nunca supieron la verdad.
They never knew the truth.
| FUTURO IMPERFECTO | |
| Saber (irregular) | Conocer (regular) |
| Yo sabré Tú / Vos sabrás Él / Ella / Usted sabrá Nosotros / Nosotras sabremos Ustedes sabrán Ellos / Ellas sabrán | Yo conoceré Tú / Vos conocerás Él / Ella / Usted conocerá Nosotros / Nosotras conoceremos Ustedes conocerán Ellos / Ellas conocerán |
Ej. Ellos nunca sabrán la verdad.
They will never know the truth.
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