to Know: ¿saber o conocer?

Question

This is one of the post in my website. You can find a lot of useful Spanish tips if you want to visit it

Do you want to try to write a sentence with both, saber and conocer?

The verbs SABER y CONOCER both means "to know". However, you need choose "saber" or "conocer" depending on the context in wich is used it. These verbs are not interchangeable.

SABER
yo sé
tú sabes
él/ud sabe
nosotros sabemos vosotros sabéis ellos/uds saben

CONOCER yo conozco tú conoces él/ud conoce
nosotros conocemos
vosotros conocéis ellos/uds conocen

• Watch out! Both saber and conocer are verbs with irregular first person.

SABER means to know facts and information:

1.To know information: saber

I know your telephone number. Yo sé tu número de teléfono.

1. To know that: saber que....

They know that I am here. Ellos saben que yo estoy aquí.

1. To know how to do something: saber + infinitive

He knows how to play tennis. Él sabe jugar al tenis.

CONOCER is used to express familiarity with a person, a place, a thing or a particular field of learning:

1. To know a person: conocer a

We know your sister. Nosotros conocemos a tu hermana.

1. To know a place

I know Spain. Conozco España.

1. To know (be familiar with) a thing, be well versed in an area

The hairdresser knows his client's hair. El peluquero conoce el pelo de sus clientes.

Spanish, may I suggest two corrections, please?. We would say: This is one of the postS on (not in) my website - FELIZ77, Jun 5, 2014

Oh! Thank you very much! - SpanishSkypeorg, Jun 5, 2014

Muchas gracias por estos ejercicios que le gusta darnos ....apreciamos mucho la oportunidad practicar su idioma español y recibir correcciones :) - FELIZ77, Jun 5, 2014

You 're very welcome :) - FELIZ77, Jun 5, 2014

Sabemos que este hilo es publicidad descarada, y no está permitido. - ray76, Jun 5, 2014

Ray, people are learning through this thread and improving their Spanish do you really want to destroy all that and possibly lose members for the sake of following rules??? I hope not! - FELIZ77, Jun 5, 2014

I credit you and SpanishDict with more sense/intelligence than to blindly follow rules just because rules are rules - FELIZ77, Jun 5, 2014

Besides, if advertising is really prohibited on Spanish Dict, why the h**k do we have to put up with all the other advertts on here??? - - FELIZ77, Jun 5, 2014

Ray, can we really afford to lose Spanish natives who are really willing to correct our Spanish ? If advertsing is a problem just gently ask her to stop advertising, while also making it clear that her willingness to correct is greatly appreciated! :) - FELIZ77, Jun 5, 2014

That has already been done, Feliz - rac1, Jun 6, 2014

Answer 1

Yo sé muy bien que como no conozco a nadie, mi vida nueva en España será muy difícil.

My new life in Spain will indeed be very difficult as I know only too well that I don't know anyone..

;) - SpanishSkypeorg, Jun 4, 2014

:) - FELIZ77, Jun 5, 2014

Answer 2

"These verbs are not interchangeable" Well, maybe sometimes. I dug up these two sentences in Rogelio Vallecillos book, 'Essential Spanish Verb Skills',

Yo no sé/conozco el nombre de esa chica.

I don't know that girl's name.

Él sabe/conoce mi dirección.

He knows my address.

Not a big deal, just thought I would add my two cents.

Your examples have a slightly different sense. The conversation would determine when I would use one or the other. - Jack-OBrien, Jun 5, 2014

Hi swampy how you been mate? - ray76, Jun 5, 2014

Hey Jack and Ray, been doing good, officially retired now. Still a beginner at Spanish. - swampy, Jun 5, 2014

Hi Swampy, nice to see you! - annierats, Jun 5, 2014

Officially retired...... sounds like you're still really busy :D - Jack-OBrien, Jun 5, 2014

Answer 3

She is famous. The whole world knows her face. / Ella es famosa. Todo el mundo conocen su cara.

Do you know how to dance? / ¿Sabes bailar?

Just one correction, "todo el mundo" is singular, so "todo el mundo conoce" ;) - SpanishSkypeorg, Jun 5, 2014

Great Job ,Annie :) - FELIZ77, Jun 5, 2014

Answer 4

Saber = To know some fact , to know how to do something.

Ella sabe conducir = She knows how to drive

Mis padres saben que mi cumpleaños es mañana = My parents know that it is my birthday tomorrow.

Conocer = to know a person or a place

Disculpe, señora ¿conoce Ud a un buen médico, por aquí cerca, por favor? = Excuse me , madam, do you know (ie: could you recommend?) a good doctor around here, please?

I know you would probably say / it would probably be better to say

Disculpe, señora ¿me podría recomendar a un buen médico, por aquí cerca, por favor?

= Excuse me , madam, could you recomend a good doctor around here, please?

but we are practising saber and conocer and I have seen this example in a Spanish dictionary or a book and I wnated to check it is also correct/would also be acceptable)

¿Conoces bien Madrid ? = Do you know Madrid well?

Corrijan mi español, por favor

Your Spanish here is perfect, just one thing: if you say "conoce usted" and "me podría recomendar", you need to use "disculpe", the usted command and not "disculpa" (tu). But good job! - SpanishSkypeorg, Jun 5, 2014

Thank you very much, Spanish :) - FELIZ77, Jun 5, 2014