Languages › Spanish The Difference Between Spanish Verbs "Saber" and "Conocer" Share Flipboard Email Print John Fedele / Getty Images Spanish Vocabulary History & Culture Pronunciation Writing Skills Grammar By Gerald Erichsen Gerald Erichsen Spanish Language Expert B.A., Seattle Pacific University Gerald Erichsen is a Spanish language expert who has created Spanish lessons for ThoughtCo since 1998. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on April 15, 2019 The Spanish verbs saber and conocer both mean "to know" in English but they are not interchangeable. There is a cardinal rule when you're translating in any language: translate meaning, not words. The two verbs have different meanings. The Spanish verb conocer, which comes from the same root as the English words "cognition" and "recognize," generally means "to be familiar with." You would use conocer in the following ways; note it is conjugated to agree with the person and tense: Spanish Sentence English Translation Conozco a Pedro. I know Pedro. ¿Conoces a María? Do you know Maria? No conozco Guadalajara. I don't know Guadalajara. Or, I haven't been to Guadalajara. Conócete a ti mismo. Know yourself. The most common meaning for saber is "to know a fact," "to know how" or "to possess knowledge." Following are examples of saber in a sentence: Spanish Sentence English Translation No sé nada. I don't know anything. Él no sabe nadar. He doesn't know how to swim. No sé nada de Pedro. I don't have any news about Pedro. Secondary Meanings Conocer also can mean "to meet," just as we use might say in English, "Pleased to meet you" upon meeting someone. Conocer can be used in the preterite past tense as well, for example, Conocí a mi esposa en Vancouver, which means, "I met my wife in Vancouver." In some contexts, it also can mean "to recognize," although there also is a verb, reconocer, that means "to recognize." Saber can mean "to have flavor," as in sabe bien, which means "it tastes good." Both conocer and saber are fairly common verbs, and both are irregular verbs, meaning their conjugation patterns break from regular -er ending verbs. To differentiate sé, the first-person present singular of saber, from se, a reflexive pronoun, note that there is an accent. Example Phrases The two verbs are used commonly in idiomatic phrases. Spanish Phrase English Translation a saber namely conocer al dedillo o conocer palmo a palmo to know like the palm of one's hand conocer de vista to know by sight cuando lo supe when I found out dar a conocer to make known darse a conocer to make oneself known me sabe mal I feel bad about no saber ni jota (o papa) de algo to not have a clue about something no se sabe nobody knows para que lo sepas for your information que yo sepa as far as I know ¿Quién sabe? Who knows? se conoce que apparently según mi leal saber y entender to the best of my knowledge ¿Se puede saber ... ? May I ask ...? se sabe que it is known that vete (tú) a saber goodness knows ¡Yo que sé! or ¿Qué sé yo? I have no idea! How am I supposed to know? Similar Meanings As in English, there are verbs that sometimes have the same meaning, but are used differently depending on the context of the sentence. The following Spanish verbs meaning, "to be," "to look," "to have" and "to hear," can be a little tricky. Below is a guide for these commonly mistaken verbs. Both ser and estar mean "to be." Ser is used to talk about permanent or lasting attributes. There is an acronym to help Spanish learners remember when ser is used: DOCTOR, which stands for descriptions, occupations, characteristics, time, origin and relationships. Examples include Yo soy Maria, for "I am Maria," or Hoy es Martes, for "Today is Tuesday." Estar is used to express a temporary condition or location. A good mnemonic to remember estar is another acronym: PLACE, which stands for position, location, action, condition, and emotion. For example, Estamos en el cafe, means, "We are in the cafe." Or, Estoy triste, which means, "I am sad." Mirar, Ver, and Buscar The English verb "to look" can be expressed in most cases interchangeably by the verb mirar or ver in Spanish when you want to say "to look at" or "to watch." For instance, if you want to say, "Want to watch the game?" a Spanish speaker can say either ¿Quieres ver el partido? or ¿Quieres mirar el partido? The verb buscar has a slightly different meaning, it is used to express the idea "to look for." For example, Estoy buscando un partido, which means, "I am looking for a game." Haber and Tener Both tener and haber mean "to have." Tener is used mostly as an active verb. If you "have something," you would use tener. Haber is mostly used as a helping verb in Spanish. For example, in English, we might say, "I have been to the grocery store." The "have" in the sentence is a helping verb. Escuchar and Oir Both escuchar and oir mean, "to hear," however, oir refers to the physical capacity to hear, and escuchar implies that one is paying attention or listening to a sound. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Erichsen, Gerald. "The Difference Between Spanish Verbs "Saber" and "Conocer"." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/confusing-verb-pair-saber-and-conocer-3078348. Erichsen, Gerald. (2023, April 5). The Difference Between Spanish Verbs "Saber" and "Conocer". Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/confusing-verb-pair-saber-and-conocer-3078348 Erichsen, Gerald. "The Difference Between Spanish Verbs "Saber" and "Conocer"." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/confusing-verb-pair-saber-and-conocer-3078348 (accessed May 30, 2023). copy citation Featured Video By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies