Savoir means “to know” and is used for knowledge of facts, information, or how to do something. It is distinct from connaître, which is used for knowing people or being familiar with things.
- Savoir is used for knowing facts, information, or skills.
- Connaître is used for knowing people or being familiar with places/things.
- Savoir is an important irregular verb in French.
Meaning and Usage
Savoir expresses intellectual knowledge: facts, information, or the ability to do something (know how). It is not used for personal acquaintance.
- Use savoir when talking about knowing facts or information.
- Use savoir when expressing that you know how to do something (can/will).
- Do not use savoir for knowing people; use connaître instead.
Examples
| English | French (Savoir) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I know the answer. | Je sais la réponse. | Fact/information |
| Do you know how to swim? | Sais-tu nager? | Knowing how to do something |
| They know that she is right. | Ils savent qu’elle a raison. | Knowledge of a fact |
*Savoir* is used for knowing facts, not *connaître*.
Conjugation (Present Indicative)
| Subject | Savoir (+English) |
|---|---|
| Je | sais (I know) |
| Tu | sais (You know) |
| Il/Elle | sait (He/She knows) |
| Nous | savons (We know) |
| Vous | savez (You all know) |
| Ils/Elles | savent (They know) |
Savoir is irregular; only the stem changes, not like regular -er/-ir/-re verbs.
- Je sais / Tu sais / Il sait for I/you/he: very similar forms.
- Nous savons / Vous savez / Ils savent show a different stem: sav-.
Examples
- Je sais la vérité. (I know the truth.)
- Nous savons parler français. (We know how to speak French.)
The stem changes to 'sav-' for nous, vous, ils forms.
Savoir + Infinitive (Knowing How to...)
When savoir is followed by an infinitive, it means “to know how to...” (being able to do something mentally).
- Je sais conduire. (I know how to drive.)
- Sais-tu jouer du piano? (Do you know how to play the piano?)
Don’t use connaître for this!
Use 'savoir' + infinitive: Je sais cuisiner.
Negation
To make savoir negative, use standard French negation: ne...pas around the conjugated verb.
- Je ne sais pas. (I don’t know.)
- Nous ne savons pas la réponse. (We don’t know the answer.)
Exercises
- Conjugate savoir in the present for all subjects.
- Translate: "They know how to swim," "I know the address," "Do you know the truth?"
- Explain the difference between savoir and connaître with examples.
- Write 3 negative sentences using savoir.
Conclusion
Savoir is essential for expressing knowledge of facts or skills in French. Mastering its uses and conjugations will help you avoid common errors and communicate more precisely.
- Use savoir for facts, information, and knowing how to do something.
- Don’t confuse savoir with connaître: the latter is for people and familiarity.
- Practice conjugation, examples, and negation for full mastery.