I am practicing saber, conocer, and Direct Objects and Direct Object Pronouns (16 sentences)

Question

Context: It's really not as long as it looks! The questions came from the Spanish professor; the answers are mine. This is practice (not graded) in preparation for the final. My answers focus on using saber and conocer correctly, and using the direct object pronoun correctly. If you see a sentence I could have used the direct object pronoun you may let me know. Please correct any Spanish/English errors. Gracias.

Note: On question #6 I have met both of them in person and have had conversations with them both.

1	¿Sabes cuándo es tu examen final de español?	Sí, sé que lo es el lunes 9 de mayo.	Yes, I know that it is Monday, May 9.
2	¿Conoces Chicago bien?	No, no conoczo Chicago bien, pero sé Chicago es la casa del Chicago Cubs y White Sox.	No, I do not know Chicago well, but I know Chicago is the home of the Chicago Cubs and White Sox.
3	¿Sabes cómo se llaman los gatos de tu profesor?	No, no los sé, pero puedo llamar y pide mi profesor.	No, I do not know them, but I can call and ask my professor.
4	¿Conoces a Barak Obama en persona?	No, no lo conozco, pero sé que es el primer presidente negro en los Estados Unidos.	No, I do not know him, but I know that he is the first negro president in the United States.
5	¿Sabes cuántos años tiene tu mama?	No, no sé porque mi mamá está muerta.	No, I do not know because my mom is dead.
6	¿Saben tus padres que no te gusta estudiar?	No, no saben que me gusta estudiar.	No, they do not know that I like to study.
7	¿Sabes en qué estado está Miami?	Sí, sé que Miami está en Florida y que hay los caimanes allí.	Yes, I know that Miami is in Florida and that there are alligators there.
8	¿Conoces a alguna persona famosa?	Sí, conozco dos personas famosas. A Dee Brown juega el baloncesto en China y a Joan Allen es actriz de cine.	Yes, I know two famous persons. A Dee Brown plays basketball in China and Joan Allen is a movie actress.
9	¿Sabes preparar comida mexicana?	Sí, sé prepararla, especialmente arroz mexicano.	Yes, I know how to prepare it, especially Mexican rice.
10	¿ Sabes jugar video juegos?	Sí, sé juego video juegos pero no conozco jugar bien.	Yes, I know how to play video games but I do not know how to play well.
11	¿Sabes usar una computadora?	Sí, la sé muy bien.	Yes, I know it, very well.
12	¿Qué sabes de NY?	Sé que mi major amiga de escuela de segunda enseñanza vive en Manhatten, Nueva York.	I know that my best friend from high school lives in Manhatten, New York.
13	¿Conoces NY?	Conozco Nueva York un poco. Un verano tomé el metro a trabajar en una libraría.	I know New York a Little. One summer I took the subway to work in a bookstore.
14	¿Qué sabes de Cancún?	Sé que Cancún está en México y que tiene algunas ruinas mayas.	I know that Cancun is en Mexico and that it has some Maya ruins.
15	¿Qué sabes de Madrid?	Sé que es la ciudad más grande y capital de España, y que es el centro político de España.	I know that it is the largest city and capital of Spain, and that it is the political center of Spain.
16	¿Qué sabes de Padukah, KY?	Sé que Paducah, KY está situado en la confluencia de dos ríos, los ríos Tennessee y Ohio.	I know that Paducah, KY is located in the confluence of two rivers, the Tennessee y Ohio rivers.

Answer 1

2 - conozco

3 - pregunto a mi profesor ("pedir a mi profesor" sounds almost like he is your waiter)

7 - hay caimanes allí. ("hay + el" almost never works, because "hay" is used for unidentifiable references and "el" for identifiable ones)

11 - Sí, sé usarla muy bien. (you can't say "la sé")

12 - mayor (think how 'major' would sound!)

13 - librería (libraría would be from the verb librar, not to work)

Thanks for catching some of my spelling mistakes and choosing preguntar. How is "there are" written? I only know 'hay'. And why is "la s'e" incorrect? Gracias - bandit51jd, May 5, 2011

I have a new keyboard and I've not yet had time to set up the Spanish keys! - bandit51jd, May 5, 2011

@Bandit, Probably you can't say "la sé" because it is too close to "se la" which is not what you meant at all :) Maybe Laz. will come answer this. - Sabor, May 5, 2011

Answer 2

I know your question was about saber, conocer and direct objects... but I could help correct the rest

Sí, sé que lo es el lunes 9 de mayo.

The use of saber is correct, but lo is wrong: I don't think lo can be the subject itself as it is. Just remove it: sé que es el lunes

No, no conoczo Chicago bien, pero sé Chicago es la casa del Chicago Cubs y White Sox.

You need to add que after sé (sé que Chigago es). Besides, casa sounds akward to me, I'd say el hogar.

No, no los sé, pero puedo llamar y pide mi profesor.

If you are talking about a person or an animal (which are alive), it's conocer. Besides, I don't think you would pedir your professor, I think you would preguntarle.

No, no sé porque mi mamá está muerta.

No sé is not completely wrong, but in this case it would be better no lo sé.

¿Saben tus padres que no te gusta estudiar? No, no saben que me gusta estudiar.

This is not grammatical: in the question it says que no te gusta estudiar and the answer says que me gusta.

Sí, sé que Miami está en Florida y que hay los caimanes allí.

If you use los you're talking about specific alligators.

Sí, conozco dos personas famosas. A Dee Brown juega el baloncesto en China y a Joan Allen es actriz de cine.

Conozco a dos personas famosas. A Dee Brown, que juega al baloncesto en China y a Joan Allen, que es actriz de cine.

Sí, sé juego video juegos pero no conozco jugar bien.

Sé jugar videojuegos (infinitiv). Pero no sé jugar bien (saber was fine, don't change it).

Sí, la sé muy bien.

What you know is how to use the computer, not the computer itself, so you don't need la there.

Sé que mi major amiga de escuela de segunda enseñanza vive en Manhatten, Nueva York.

mi mejor amiga.

Un verano tomé el metro a trabajar en una libraría.

Tomé el metro para trabajar

Loa: Muchas gracias. This was such a big help! - bandit51jd, May 5, 2011

Wow Lao you better watch out, giving such awesome detailed answers like that we'll all be calling you to our threads lol, nice! :) - Kiwi-Girl, May 5, 2011

Jeje de nada bandit :P and thanks Kiwi ^_^ - LoaEtayo, May 6, 2011

Answer 3

saber conjugations

conocer conjugations

Oh you are kind , and nice with it ! - ray76, Jul 30, 2016

Mil gracias guapo. xo - rac1, Jul 30, 2016

Answer 4

Would some kind member post conjugations for "Conocer, y Saber" Thank you.

Answer 5

So in Spanish my sentence is culturally correct

but in English I would write

No, I do not know him, but I know that he is the first black president of the United States.

I suppose this is how we learn. We find out we've offended a culture. I hope my deepest apology will be accepted. And that I remember this lesson and that I do not do it again.

If people take offense at the errors of language learners, They have the bigger problem :) - Sabor, May 5, 2011

I knew you were helping me to learn and I knew I didn't offend you, but since this is world wide I thought it good to acknowledge my error. I like how you say it's as big of an error to not be patient with new learners! Gracias - bandit51jd, May 5, 2011

We do carry alot of baggage with that word that we have to get over when it comes to Spanish. There is another thread going on how the words negro or negra is used as a term of endearment similar to 'darling' in some regions. - Joel, May 6, 2011

Answer 6

For 5, "No, no sé porque mi mamá está muerta." your teacher might want to see "que"; No, no sé pero sé que mi hermano [prima, tío] tiene cuarenta años.

Yes, your are correct, when we give additional information he likes to see our effort. Your suggestion is appreciate because this chapter is also teaching us family vocab! - bandit51jd, May 5, 2011

Answer 7

¿Saben tus padres que no te gusta estudiar? = Do your parents know that you don't like to study? This question makes the assumption that you don't like to study. Whether it is true or not, you must answer the question the way your teacher presents it. The purpose may be to see if you can use the double negative.

No, no saben que me gusta estudiar. = They don't know that I [do] like to study.

But you need "No, no saben que no me gusta estudiar." = They don't know that I don't like to study.

This extra information helped me quite a bit. I'm not sure what the double negative, but I'll study it as it continues to come up. And I do see how it's used. "no me gustar" is the 3rd use of no. - bandit51jd, May 5, 2011

Answer 8

Through the 1950s it was correct to call a person of African heritage/descent "Negro". No longer. Now you must say "African-American" or "Black".

6 should be "No, no saben que no . . ." in order to answer the question.

She asked for corrections to her English. I was not correcting the Spanish of that particular item.. - Sabor, May 5, 2011

Sorry, silly mistake. - lazarus1907, May 5, 2011

But I learned a lot and appreciate you both! Are you sure about using "que no me gustar estudiar"? Because I do like to study, they can't know that because they have died. - bandit51jd, May 5, 2011