Recursio
Lesson 51. To know: saber and conocer
10 words in this lesson
Tap 🔊 and repeat out loud. These words come back in the dialogue and the exercises below.
saber and conocer; a before a specific person's name
Two ways to say “know”
English has one verb, Spanish has two.
Saber is to know a fact or a piece of information; with an infinitive, “to know how to”:
- ¿Sabes dónde está el banco? — Do you know where the bank is?
- No sé la dirección. — I don’t know the address.
- No sé nadar. — I can’t swim (I never learned).
Conocer is to know a person, a place or a thing from experience, to be familiar with it:
- Conozco a Lucía. — I know Lucía.
- ¿Conoces este barrio? — Do you know this neighborhood?
- Conozco una receta muy buena. — I know a really good recipe.
The yo form
Both verbs have a special yo form; the rest work like comer:
| saber | conocer | |
|---|---|---|
| yo | sé | conozco |
| tú | sabes | conoces |
| él, ella, usted | sabe | conoce |
Sé has a written accent.
A before a person’s name
With a specific person as the object, conocer and buscar take a: Conozco a Lucía, Busco a Javier. Compare Conozco este barrio and Busco las llaves, with no a. This is a useful pattern, not a rule for every noun referring to a person: Tengo dos hermanos has no a.
Words in this lesson
El idioma is masculine even though it ends in -a, like el día.
¿Sabes dónde está el banco? — Do you know where the bank is?
Conozco a Lucía. — I know Lucía.
No sé nadar. — I can't swim.
Conozco bien este barrio. — I know this neighborhood well.
¿Qué idiomas hablas? — What languages do you speak?
Dialogue
Listen to each line and repeat it. Try to understand it before you look at the translation.
Nora Javier, ¿sabes hacer una tarta de chocolate? Javier, do you know how to make a chocolate cake?
Javier Sí, conozco una receta muy buena. Yes, I know a really good recipe.
Nora ¿Y sabes cantar? And can you sing?
Javier No, no sé cantar. Pero Lucía sabe muchas canciones. No, I can't sing. But Lucía knows lots of songs.
Nora Necesito chocolate. ¿Conoces una tienda en el barrio? I need chocolate. Do you know a store in the neighborhood?
Javier Sí, conozco una, pero no sé la dirección. Sé el camino. Yes, I know one, but I don't know the address. I know the way.
Nora ¿Me enseñas el camino? Will you show me the way?
Javier Sí, vamos. Sure, let's go.
Check yourself
Listen. What did you hear?
1. How do you ask “Do you know where the bank is?”
2. How do you say “I know Lucía” (I've met her)?
3. How do you say “I can't swim” (I never learned)?
4. How do you ask a friend “Do you know this neighborhood?”
Match each word with its translation
Build the question: “Do you know where the bank is?”
Build the sentence: “I know Lucía”
What you can do now
- Ask about a fact: ¿Sabes dónde está el banco?
- Say you know someone: Conozco a Lucía.
- Say what you can or can't do: No sé nadar.
- Ask about a place: ¿Conoces este barrio?
Key phrases of the lesson:
¿Sabes dónde está el banco?
Conozco a Lucía.
No sé nadar.
Day 51 of 100. Next up: the following lesson.
Lesson 52. Where things are: al lado de →The course is the first step. Next comes the Recursio app: short daily practice with spaced review.