Savoir vs Connaître – To Know (facts) vs To Know (people/things)

In French, savoir and connaître both translate as "to know" but they serve different functions: savoir focuses on knowledge of facts, skills, or how to do something, while connaître applies to being familiar with people, places, or things.

Savoir

Use savoir when referring to knowing information, facts, or how to do something; it can be followed by a question word, an infinitive, or a clause. Think of savoir as pointing to explicit knowledge that can be stated or demonstrated.

Examples

Connaître

Use connaître to express familiarity or acquaintance with someone or something, such as a person, place, or work; it normally takes a noun rather than an infinitive or clause. Connaître implies experiential knowledge gained through direct contact.

Examples

French Example	English Translation	Note
🍎 Je connais le boulanger du coin.	I know the baker from the neighborhood.	Familiar person
🏠 Elle connaît bien ce quartier.	She knows this neighborhood well.	Familiar place
📚 Nous connaissons ce livre, il est très célèbre.	We know this book; it is very famous.	Familiar thing
🎨 Ils connaissent l’artiste qui a fait la fresque.	They know the artist who made the mural.	Knowing a person by reputation
🐕 Tu connais le chien avec le collier rouge ?	Do you know the dog with the red collar?	Recognizing someone/something

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Key Differences

Remember that savoir deals with actionable or reportable knowledge while connaître deals with recognition and familiarity; when in doubt, see if you can replace the phrase with "to be familiar with" (for connaître) versus "to know how/that" (for savoir).

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Summary

In short, use savoir for facts, information, and skills, and use connaître for people, places, and things you are acquainted with; mastering this distinction will make your French sound more natural and precise.