Saber means "to know" in the context of knowing facts, information, or how to do something. It is irregular, especially in the present tense and some past forms, but follows regular (–er) patterns in most other tenses.
- Use saber for knowing facts, data, or information (e.g., Sé la respuesta).
- Use saber for knowing how to do something (e.g., Sabes nadar).
- Use saber in indirect questions or reported speech (e.g., No sé cuándo llega).
Note: Don't confuse saber with conocer.
- Saber = knowing facts or skills
- Conocer = being familiar with people, places, or things
For example:
- Sé que Madrid es la capital* (I know that Madrid is the capital)
- Conozco Madrid* (I am familiar with Madrid)
Conjugation
- The yo form in the present tense is sé (irregular).
- Other pronouns follow regular –er endings: –es, –e, –emos, –éis, –en.
- In the preterite, él/ella form is supo (irregular).
- The past participle sabido is used in perfect tenses.
- In the subjunctive, the root sep- is used for all persons.
Present Tense Example
| Pronoun | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | Sé la verdad. | I know the truth. |
| Tú | Sabes nadar. | You know how to swim. |
| Él/Ella | Sabe el horario. | She knows the schedule. |
| Nosotros | Sabemos la fecha. | We know the date. |
| Vosotros | Sabéis la respuesta. | You all know the answer. |
| Ellos/Ellas | Saben cantar. | They know how to sing. |
Imperfect Tense Example
| Pronoun | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | Sabía leer de niño. | I knew how to read as a child. |
| Tú | Sabías la noticia. | You knew the news. |
| Él/Ella | Sabía cocinar. | He knew how to cook. |
| Nosotros | Sabíamos mucho. | We knew a lot. |
| Vosotros | Sabíais inglés. | You all knew English. |
| Ellos/Ellas | Sabían nadar. | They knew how to swim. |
Preterite Tense Example
| Pronoun | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | Supe la verdad ayer. | I found out the truth yesterday. |
| Tú | Supiste la noticia. | You learned the news. |
| Él/Ella | Supo la hora exacta. | She found out the exact time. |
| Nosotros | Supimos el resultado. | We found out the result. |
| Vosotros | Supisteis la sorpresa. | You all learned the surprise. |
| Ellos/Ellas | Supieron el secreto. | They found out the secret. |
Present Subjunctive Example
| Pronoun | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | Espero que sepas la respuesta. | I hope you know the answer. |
| Tú | Ojalá que sepamos pronto. | Hopefully we know soon. |
| Él/Ella | Quiero que sepa la verdad. | I want her to know the truth. |
| Nosotros | Es bueno que sepamos más. | It’s good that we know more. |
| Vosotros | Quizás sepáis la fecha. | Maybe you all know the date. |
| Ellos/Ellas | Dudo que sepan todo. | I doubt they know everything. |
I know the truth.
Sé la verdad.
In the present tense, the first-person singular of 'saber' is 'sé,' not 'sabo' or 'sapio.' The correct sentence is 'Sé la verdad.'
Usage
Knowing Facts
- Use saber to express knowing facts or information.
- Often followed by que + clause, question words (qué, cómo, cuándo, dónde), or infinitives.
Examples
- Sé que la Tierra es redonda.* (I know that the Earth is round.)
- ¿Sabes dónde está el banco?* (Do you know where the bank is?)
- Sabemos cuándo empieza la clase.* (We know when the class starts.)
Knowing How to Do Something (Skills)
- Use saber + infinitive to express knowing how to do something.
Examples
- Sé tocar la guitarra.* (I know how to play the guitar.)
- ¿Sabes conducir?* (Do you know how to drive?)
- Ellos saben programar.* (They know how to program.)
Finding Out / Learning (Preterite)
- In the preterite tense, saber means to find out or learn something suddenly.
Examples
- Supe la noticia ayer.* (I found out the news yesterday.)
- Supimos que había un examen.* (We learned there was a test.)
Indirect Questions
- Use saber in clauses with no sé + question word to express not knowing something.
Examples
- No sé dónde vive Juan.* (I don’t know where Juan lives.)
- No sé qué hacer.* (I don’t know what to do.)
Common Expressions with Saber
- No saber ni jota* = to not know anything
- Saber de memoria* = to know by heart
- Saber a* = to taste like
- Hacer saber* = to inform or notify
Examples
- No sé ni jota de matemáticas.* (I don’t know anything about math.)
- Sé el poema de memoria.* (I know the poem by heart.)
- Esto sabe a chocolate.* (This tastes like chocolate.)
- Les hago saber la noticia mañana.* (I will inform them of the news tomorrow.)
Summary
- Saber = knowing facts, information, or how to do something.
- Use saber + que, cuándo, dónde, qué, cómo + subj./indic./infinitive.
- Distinguish from conocer (familiarity with people/places).
- Present tense: yo sé; preterite él/ella supo; subjunctive root sep-.
- Use preterite saber for "found out" or "learned" (supe, supiste...).
- Use saber + infinitive for skills (sé nadar).
- Common patterns for indirect questions and set phrases.
Saber* is a crucial verb for expressing knowledge in Spanish, especially for facts, skills, and information.
Flashcards (1 of 24)
- Pronoun: Yo
- English Example: I know the truth.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
