Saber

Quick Answer

Saber(to know) is used to express the idea of knowing and to talk about ability (to know how, can). However, that’s not all; it may be used to talk about how something tastes! Read on to learn more about saber in this article.

Saber: Knowledge and Abilities

Saber is used to talk about facts or learned skills. You can also use it to talk about information you've learned or to say you are able to swim, draw, speak a language, etc.

Using Saber to Talk About Knowledge

You can use saber to talk about facts, information, or even a future event you are certain about. Check out these examples:

examples
¿Sabes la dirección de Felipe? Do you know Felipe’s address?
¿Sabes dónde hay un buen café? Do you know where there's a good café?
Analía sabe toda la poesía de memoria. Analía knows the whole poem by heart.
Sabíamos que vendrías a darnos una mano. We knew you’d come to lend us a hand.

Using Saber to Talk About Abilities

Saber is also used to talk about acquired abilities. In this sense, it’s equivalent to to know how to and can. Let’s take a look at a few examples:

examples
Sé andar en bici. I can ride a bike. / I know how to ride a bike.
Anita no sabe guardar un secreto. Anita can’t keep a secret. / Ana doesn't know how to keep a secret.
¿Sabes usar este dispositivo? Do you know how to use this device?

saber 1

To express the ability to do something, you can use saber plus an infinitive. For example:

examples
Yo sé tocar el piano. I can play the piano. / I know how to play the piano.
Mi hermano sabe hablar francés. My brother can speak French. / My brother knows how to speak French.

examples

Yo sé tocar el piano.

I can play the piano. / I know how to play the piano.

Mi hermano sabe hablar francés.

My brother can speak French. / My brother knows how to speak French.

Saber Used in the Preterite

In the preterite, saber can have other meanings, such as to find out.

Check out the following examples:

examples
Finalmente, Alejandro nunca supo la verdad. In the end, Alejandro never found out the truth.
Cuando supe que me mentía, decidí cortar con él. When I found out he was lying to me, I decided to break up with him.

Conjugating Saber

Saber is an irregular verb. Let’s take a look at how to conjugate saber in the present and the preterite.

Saber in the Present

Pronoun(s)	Conjugation	Translation	Notes
yo	sé	I know
tú	sabes	you know	informal singular you
vos	sabés	you know	informal singular you (in parts of Latin America)
él, ella	sabe	he, she knows
usted	sabe	you know	formal singular you
nosotros, nosotras	sabemos	we know
vosotros, vosotras	sabéis	you know	informal plural you (in Spain)
ellos, ellas	saben	they know
ustedes	saben	you know	plural you (in Latin America), formal plural you (in Spain)

Be in the Know

Remember that the present yo conjugation of saber is sé, not sabo!

Yo sé andar en bici.(I know how to ride a bike.)

Yo sabo andar en bici.

Saber in the Preterite

Pronoun(s)	Conjugation	Translation	Notes
yo	supe	I knew, I found out
tú	supiste	you knew, you found out	informal singular you
vos	supiste	you knew, you found out	informal singular you (in parts of Latin America)
él, ella	supo	he, she knew; he, she found out
usted	supo	you knew, you found out	formal singular you
nosotros, nosotras	supimos	we knew, we found out
vosotros, vosotras	supisteis	you knew, you found out	informal plural you (in Spain)
ellos, ellas	supieron	they knew, they found out
ustedes	supieron	you knew, you found out	plural you (in Latin America), formal plural you (in Spain)

Expressions Using the Verb Saber

In Spanish, there are several expressions that use the verb saber. Here are a few:

Phrase in Spanish	Meaning in English
a saber	namely
de haberlo sabido	if I’d only known
lo sé	I know
no saber ni papa de algo	to not know the first thing about something
para que lo sepas	just so you know
que yo sepa	as far as I know
quién sabe	who knows
¡Qué sé yo!	How should I know!
sin saberlo yo	without my knowledge
Vete a saber.	Your guess is as good as mine.