The Verb “To Know” in Spanish: “Saber” vs. “Conocer”

There are two verbs in Spanish that mean “to know” in English: “saber” and “conocer.” Knowing when to use “saber” and when to use “conocer” should not be difficult if you understand the subtle difference between the two concepts of “knowing.”

In short, the verb “saber” is used to describe knowledge of facts, concepts, languages, skills, abilities, etc. On the other hand, the verb “conocer” is used to describe recognition or familiarity with a person, a place, or an object, including a movie, a site, a brand, etc.

Conjugation

Below is a reminder of the present tense conjugation of both verbs.

	saber	conocer
yo	sé	conozco
tú	sabes	conoces
él/ella/usted	sabe	conoce
nosotros/-as	sabemos	conocemos
vosotros/-as	sabéis	conocéis
ellos/ellas/ustedes	saben	conocen

Examples on Meaning Difference

Here are some examples in Spanish that use the verbs “saber” and “conocer,” “to know,” and highlight the difference:

“saber” and “conocer” Examples	Explanation
¿Sabes si hay alguien dentro? Do you know* if there is someone inside?*	Referring to a fact (whether someone is inside or not), use “saber.”
¿Sabes inglés? Do you know* English?*	Referring to a language, use “saber.”
Ella no sabe nadar. She doesn’t know* how to swim.*	Referring to a skill, use “saber.”
No sé dónde hay una escuela. I don’t know* where there is a school.*	Referring to a fact (whether a school exists nearby), use “saber.”
No conozco la ciudad muy bien. I don’t know* the city very well.*	Referring to recognizing a place, use “conocer.”
No conocen a mis padres. They don’t know* my parents.*	Referring to recognizing a person, use “conocer.”
¿Conoces esa película? Do you know* that movie?*	Referring to recognizing a movie, use “conocer.”

To know each other using “Conocer”

The verb “conocer” is used to refer to the reciprocal act of knowing each other, for example:

Nos conocemos¹ muy bien.	We know each other very well.
No se conocen[1].	They don’t know each other.

Expressions that use “Saber”

The verb “saber” is common in many expressions in Spanish, for example:

lo sé	I know	que yo sepa[2]	as far as I know
para que lo sepas¹	just so you know	¡qué sé yo!	how should I know?
sin saberlo yo	without my knowledge	vete a saber	your guess is as good as mine
a saber	who knows?	de haberlo sabido[3]	if I’d only known

Use of “Saber” and “Conocer” in the Preterite Tense

The preterite is one of the tenses used in Spanish to describe past events. We cover the preterite in more detail in Level IV, Lesson 2, and Level V, Lesson 1. For now, keep in mind that “saber” in the preterite form can also mean “to find out” in the past, while “conocer” in the preterite form can also mean “to meet” in the past, for example:

Mi hermano supo que estaba enfermo.	My brother found *out* that I was sick.
Conocí a mi esposa en la universidad.	I met my wife at university.