How do you differ Querer/Amar, Saber/Conocer ?

Question

As it is written on my profile, i'm an english student (level intermediate, according to my teachers, so my English is not perfect AT ALL haha). They gave me an assignment.. I have to find the explanation of english speakers to difference both words, because querer/amar mean to love, and saber/conocer mean to know, just one word I'll be very pleased if you could help me

Welcome to the forum, :) - 00494d19, Dec 27, 2011

Thanks :) This is what I always needed lol. - Fraan, Dec 27, 2011

Answer 1

As I know,

querer a = love(like) someone

querer hacer algo= to want to do something

However, to me "amar" is much deeper, than "querer".

conocer= have a superficial knowledge about something or someone (something or someone is just familiar)

saber= to know for sure. To know deeply.

Besides "saber+ infinitive= to be able to do something"

saber nadar= to be able to swim

This is the way I was told I hope ths will help. If I'm wrong , natives will correct me

That's very good, very structured. Thank you =)! - Fraan, Dec 27, 2011

Answer 2

As to "querer" vs "amar" --

Amar means "to love" but it can be used with someone without necessarily having to be in a romantic context.

"Yo amo a mí padre." -- "I love my father." "Ella ama a su nóvio." -- "She loves her boyfriend." "Te amo." -- "I love you."

Querer can be more intimate and more versatile:

"Te quiero" can be interpreted as "I _________ you" where the verb in the blank can be anything: I like you, I love you, I need you, I want you, etc.

I'd be reluctant to say "Te quiero" to my father, but not "Te amo." On the other hand, if I was telling my wife I loved her, both "Te amo" and "Te quiero" would work nicely depending on the mood

(Of course, we are divorced these days, so perhaps "Te odio" would be more appropriate

P.S. Tengo una pregunta para alguién, con permiso: Is the use of "a personal" required in my first two examples? My Spanish is on the "rusty" side of things.

I think so, Paralyse, since a person is the direct object. I would use it. - SonrisaDelSol, Dec 27, 2011

Thanks! - Paralyse, Dec 27, 2011

Yo amo a mi padre / Amo a mi padre Both are possible and correct, i would use any of them. But, I don't know why, i wouldn't use 'Ama a su novio'. I'd always say ELLA :) and the last one is perfect 'Te amo' . I mean, everything is perfect, even that part - Fraan, Dec 27, 2011

about hating your ex-wife hahaha. Thank you very much! - Fraan, Dec 27, 2011

Answer 3

I'll add to the other two answers. Querer is to want or to love. You would use it as to love pretty much with your significant other. I haven't really seen it between brothers, sisters, mom and son, etc., but that might not be the case everywhere. So if I were talking to my girlfriend, I would say "te quiero" (i love you), instead of te amo. Both work just the same, but querer has a stronger meaning to it.

I'll also add something to conocer. It can be used when you are familiar with a city. Conozco Roma. (I am familiar with Rome/I know what Rome is like) on the other hand, you could say... Yo sé que la capital de Italia es Roma. (I know that the capital of Italy is Rome)

I had forgotten about that sense of "conocer", ¡muchas grácias! - Paralyse, Dec 27, 2011

First time I see 'Conozco Roma' and 'Yo sé que la capital de Italia es Roma' in an English speaker, and it is correct! =) . The definition you gave for Querer is the one you have to give for Amar, that's the only mistake. Thank youu =)! - Fraan, Dec 27, 2011

Answer 4

Conocer is often used when the subject is a person:

"Yo conozco a María." -- I know (I am acquainted or familiar with) María.

"El conoce a José." -- He knows (is acquainted or familiar with) José.

It also can be used to describe a quality that someone has or a person's reputation:

"Conoce que María es muy linda." -- "It is known that Maria is very pretty", literally, but has the figurative sense of "Everyone knows María is very pretty."

And to describe something that someone is well-known or famous for doing:

"Shakira es bien conocida porque sus canciónes son muy populáres." -- "Shakira is well-known because her songs are very popular."

Saber is used when you have knowledge of something or to describe a quality of something:

"Yo sé que el cielo es azúl hoy." -- "I know that the sky is blue today."

"Ella sabe que mañana es miércoles." -- "She knows that tomorrow is Wednesday."

"Sabe que muchos carros tienen cuatro puertas." -- "It is known that many cars have four doors."

"Tú sabes muy bien que cocinar!" -- "You really know how to cook!"

I would use "poder" instead of "saber" when it comes to being phyiscally able to do something:

"Ella puede nadar." -- "She is able to swim."

"Ella sabe como nadar." -- "She knows how to swim."

"Ella sabe como nadar, pero no puede nadar esta tarde porque va a llover." -- "She knows how to swim, but she can't swim this afternoon because it is going to rain."

Please correct and edit as needed, so that my Spanish skills may improve.

You have to translate literally 'It is known that': Es sabido que (or 'Se sabe que, but that's very very informal, even for a child). And 'how to cook' means: cómo cocinar.Thank you very much =)! You know these topics very well! - Fraan, Dec 27, 2011