To know in French 🇫🇷

Exemple

Je sais les maths = i know math
Je connais les maths = i am familiar with math

Je connais Charles = i know Charles ( I am familiar with him )
Je sais Charles = i have knowledge of Charles

In both cases the second option is technically possible, but usually incorrect usage.

9 months ago

Attention

It is important to be able to tell the difference between savoir and connaître

You can think of savoir as knowing abstract things subjects, facts, skills etc
Connaître expresses familiarity. Connaître is to be familiar with eg a place a person… There can also be some overlap in the specific case where you want to express that you are familiar with something more abstract

9 months ago

Attention

The how is built in and does not require an additional preposition in French

9 months ago

Par exemple

Savoir cuisiner is to know how to cook

9 months ago

Savoir

To know ( knowledge ) or to know how

9 months ago

savoir info.

Tips to remember the French word “savoir”:
– Associate “savoir” with knowledge or being savvy.
– Link “savoir” with the English phrase “to know how to”, as in knowing how to do something.
– Remember the phrase “Savoir-faire,” which has been borrowed into English, meaning the ability to handle situations adeptly.

Explanations:
– “Savoir” is a French verb that translates to “to know” in the sense of knowing facts or knowing how to do something. It does not refer to being acquainted with a person – that would be “connaître.”

Other words that mean the same thing:
– “Connaître” as noted, means “to know” but is used for people, places, or things one is familiar with.
– “Comprendre” means “to understand” and can sometimes be used where in English one might say “to know.”

“Savoir” is an infinitive verb; here are the different conjugations:

Present:
– je sais (I know)
– tu sais (you know, singular informal)
– il/elle/on sait (he/she/one knows)
– nous savons (we know)
– vous savez (you know, singular formal or plural)
– ils/elles savent (they know)

Imperfect (used to express a past habit or a continuing action in the past):
– je savais (I knew, I was knowing)
– tu savais (you knew, you were knowing)
– il/elle/on savait (he/she/one knew, he/she/one was knowing)
– nous savions (we knew, we were knowing)
– vous saviez (you knew, you were knowing)
– ils/elles savaient (they knew, they were knowing)

Future simple (will know):
– je saurai (I will know)
– tu sauras (you will know)
– il/elle/on saura (he/she/one will know)
– nous saurons (we will know)
– vous saurez (you will know)
– ils/elles sauront (they will know)

Examples of sentences that use “savoir”:
– Je sais parler français. (I know how to speak French.)
– Savez-vous où se trouve la gare ? (Do you know where the station is?)
– Elle sait qu’il arrivera en ******. (She knows he will arrive late.)
– Nous saurons bientôt la vérité. (We will soon know the truth.)
– Il savait jouer du piano quand il était petit. (He knew how to play the piano when he was little.)
– Tu sauras que tu as réussi quand tu recevras les résultats. (You will know you have succeeded when you receive the results.)

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