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The Verb Saber (to Know) in Spanish – Lesson 64
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(Lesson summary)
Learn saber (to know): sé, sabes, sabe, sabemos, sabéis, saben. Plus no lo sé, saber + verb (know how to), and saber vs conocer.
- Saber in the present tense
- The one irregular form: sé
- Saber + que, saber + verb
- Saber vs conocer
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(The full lesson)
Saber: to know
Another yellow verb lesson! Today’s verb is saber, which means to know. You’ve already met it in phrases like no lo sé (I don’t know) from lesson 61. Now let’s learn all the forms.
As always: copy the table into your notebook and fill it in yourself.
Saber conjugation: present tense
| Pronoun | Saber | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | sé | I know |
| tú | sabes | you know |
| él / ella / usted | sabe | he / she knows, you (formal) know |
| nosotros / nosotras | sabemos | we know |
| vosotros / vosotras | sabéis | you all know (Spain) |
| ustedes | saben | you all know |
| ellos / ellas | saben | they know |
Yo sé: I know
Yo sé. I know.
Yo lo sé. I know (it).
Sé always has a tilde, because se without one is a different word (lesson 27). And lo sé literally means “I it know”, with lo before the verb (lesson 43). Spanish speakers say lo sé and no lo sé all the time.
Tú sabes: you know
Tú sabes. You know.
¿Sabes? You know? / Do you know?
A very common phrase! People use ¿sabes? at the end of a sentence just like “you know?” in English. And remember: you can leave out tú, because sabes already tells us who it is.
Él / ella / usted sabe: he / she knows, you (formal) know
Él sabe dónde está. He knows where it is.
Ella sabe dónde está. She knows where it is.
¿Usted sabe dónde está? Do you know where it is? (formal)
That last one is super useful when you’re lost: ¿Sabe dónde está la estación? (Do you know where the station is?)
Nosotros / nosotras sabemos: we know
Nosotros sabemos que vas de vacaciones. We know (that) you’re going on vacation.
Just like with decir, saber is often followed by que (that). In English you can leave “that” out, but in Spanish you always need que.
Vosotros / vosotras sabéis: you all know (Spain)
Vosotros sabéis que me gusta. You all know (that) I like it.
Vosotras sabéis que no me gusta. You all know (that) I don’t like it.
Ustedes saben: you all know
Ustedes saben bailar. You all know how to dance.
Here’s something important: saber + verb = to know how to do something. Spanish doesn’t need a word for “how to”: saber bailar = to know how to dance. ¿Sabes nadar? = Can you swim? (Do you know how to swim?)
Ellos / ellas saben: they know
Ellos saben cómo va. They know how it goes.
Ellas no saben cómo va. They don’t know how it goes.
And to make it negative: no goes right before the verb: no saben, never saben no.
Is saber regular?
Almost! Only yo sé is irregular. All the other forms are the stem sab- + the regular -er endings: sab-es, sab-e, sab-emos, sab-éis, sab-en.
(Wes’s tip)
Spanish has two verbs for “to know”. Saber is for facts, information and skills (sé dónde está, sé nadar). For knowing people or places, Spanish uses conocer: conozco a María. More about conocer in a later lesson.
Recap: saber (to know)
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| yo sé | I know |
| tú sabes | you know |
| él / ella / usted sabe | he / she knows, you (formal) know |
| nosotros / nosotras sabemos | we know |
+ 3 more verb forms
Get all 7 verb forms on one printable page, with examples and my tips. Free, straight to your inbox.
Get the free PDF ↓Practice: saber
Fill in the right form of saber. Say it out loud, then click to check.
1. Yo lo ___. (I know it.)
Yo lo sé.
2. ¿Tú ___ dónde está? (Do you know where it is?)
¿Tú sabes dónde está?
3. Ella ___ bailar. (She knows how to dance.)
Ella sabe bailar.
4. Nosotros ___ que es verdad. (We know it’s true.)
Nosotros sabemos que es verdad.
5. ¿Vosotros ___ nadar? (Do you all know how to swim? Spain)
¿Vosotros sabéis nadar?
6. Ellos no ___ cómo va.
Ellos no saben cómo va.
7. Ask a stranger politely: “Do you know where the station is?”
¿Sabe dónde está la estación?
Quiz: saber
9 questions. ¿Sabes las respuestas?
Frequently asked questions
Does “saber” also mean “to taste”?
Yes! Saber a means “to taste like”: sabe a chocolate (it tastes like chocolate). Same verb, different meaning, and you’ll see it from the context.
Before you go to the next lesson
Practice saber a few times, especially (no) lo sé and ¿sabes…?. Grab the free reference sheet below. ¡Hasta la próxima!
(Free reference sheet)
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