Spanish grammar · Intermediate
Saber Conjugation: Every Tense with Examples
Saber means to know (facts, information, how to do things). Yo form is the irregular sé. Preterite supe (u-stem) shifts meaning to found out. Distinct from conocer (to know people / be familiar with).
Sé la respuesta.
I know the answer.
What it is
Saber means to know, specifically facts, information, or how to do something. The yo form is the irregular sé (with accent to distinguish from se). Preterite supe shifts meaning to found out. Distinct from conocer, which is to know people or be familiar with a place.
In Sé la respuesta (I know the answer), sé is the yo form. The accent distinguishes the verb sé (I know) from the reflexive pronoun se. Both look identical without the accent.
How to spot it
Look for sé (yo present) or sep- (subjunctive: sepa). Preterite uses u-stem sup- (supe, supiste, supo). Future stem is sabr-.
- ¿Sabes la hora? — Do you know the time?
- Supe la verdad ayer. — I found out the truth yesterday.
- No sé cocinar. — I don't know how to cook.
Saber + infinitive = to know how to do something (Sé nadar = I know how to swim). Spanish doesn't add an extra word for how.
Saber Conjugation Quick Reference
Saber at a glance, the most-used forms across tenses
| Person | Present | Preterite | Imperfect | Future | Subjunctive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | sé | supe | sabía | sabré | sepa |
| tú | sabes | supiste | sabías | sabrás | sepas |
| él/ella/Ud. | sabe | supo | sabía | sabrá | sepa |
| nosotros | sabemos | supimos | sabíamos | sabremos | sepamos |
| vosotros | sabéis | supisteis | sabíais | sabréis | sepáis |
| ellos/Uds. | saben | supieron | sabían | sabrán | sepan |
Common Saber Conjugation Examples in Spanish
Saber covers facts, skills, and information. Three core use cases plus the preterite meaning shift:
Knowing Facts / Information
- Sé tu número.
- I know your number.
- ¿Sabes dónde está la oficina?
- Do you know where the office is?
- Sabemos la verdad.
- We know the truth.
- No sé qué decir.
- I don't know what to say.
Saber + noun / clause covers knowing specific information or facts.
Knowing How to Do (Saber + Infinitive)
- Sé nadar.
- I know how to swim.
- Sabe tocar el piano.
- She knows how to play piano.
- No sabemos cocinar.
- We don't know how to cook.
Saber + infinitive = to know how to do something. Spanish drops the how, built into saber.
Tasting (Saber + A)
- Sabe a limón.
- It tastes like lemon.
- Esta sopa sabe muy bien.
- This soup tastes great.
- Sabe raro.
- It tastes weird.
Saber + a + noun = to taste like. Different meaning from to know, but same verb.
Preterite: Found Out
- Supe la noticia ayer.
- I found out the news yesterday.
- Cuando supimos, ya era tarde.
- When we found out, it was already too late.
- Supieron la verdad.
- They found out the truth.
Preterite supe shifts meaning to found out / discovered. Different from sabía (knew, ongoing past).
How to Conjugate Saber Across Tenses
Present, Irregular Yo (Sé)
The yo form is sé (with accent). Other forms are regular -er: sabes, sabe, sabemos, sabéis, saben.
Yo sé, tú sabes, él sabe, nosotros sabemos, vosotros sabéis, ellos saben.
I know, you know, he knows, we know, you all know, they know.
Sé carries an accent to distinguish from the reflexive pronoun se (both letters identical without it).
Preterite, U-Stem (Sup-) + Meaning Shift
Preterite uses sup-: supe, supiste, supo, supimos, supisteis, supieron. No accents. Often shifts meaning to found out, the moment knowledge arrived.
Supe que llegaste.
I found out you arrived.
Same u-stem family as tuve / estuve / pude. Sabía describes ongoing past knowledge; supe marks the moment of discovery.
Future / Conditional, Stem Sabr-
Future and conditional drop the e: sabré, sabrás, sabrá; sabría, sabrías, sabría.
Pronto sabré la respuesta.
Soon I'll know the answer.
Same -br- pattern as cabr- (caber) and habr- (haber). All drop the e of the infinitive stem.
Subjunctive, Sep- Stem
Present subjunctive is sepa, sepas, sepa, sepamos, sepáis, sepan. Built from an irregular stem, doesn't match the yo present.
Espero que sepas la verdad.
I hope you know the truth.
Sep- is unique, most subjunctives derive from the yo form, but saber's sep- isn't related to sé.
Common Mistakes with Saber Conjugation
Incorrect: Yo sabo la respuesta. — I know the answer. (wrong, yo form is the irregular sé, not sabo)
Correct: Yo sé la respuesta. — I know the answer.
The yo form of saber is the irregular sé (with accent). Sabo isn't a Spanish form.
Incorrect: Sabí la verdad ayer. — I found out the truth yesterday. (wrong, preterite uses sup-)
Correct: Supe la verdad ayer. — I found out the truth yesterday.
Saber's preterite is sup- (irregular u-stem family). Sabí isn't a form. The preterite typically means found out, not just knew.
Incorrect: Yo sé cocinar el español. — I know how to speak Spanish. (wrong, language requires hablar)
Correct: Yo sé hablar español. — I know how to speak Spanish.
Saber español on its own isn't standard. Use saber hablar español or, conversationally, just hablo español. The point: saber + infinitive expresses learned skill.
Saber Across Every Tense
Three irregular spots: yo sé (present), supe (preterite), sepa (subjunctive). Imperfect is regular.
Present (Irregular Yo)
Only yo is irregular (sé). Other forms are regular -er.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Sé without accent = the reflexive se. The accent is essential in writing.
Preterite (U-Stem Sup-)
Sup- across all forms. No accents. Meaning shifts to found out.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Same u-stem family as tuve / estuve / pude / anduve.
Imperfect (Regular)
Regular -er imperfect (sabía, sabías, sabía...).
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Sabía = used to know (ongoing past knowledge). Supe = found out (one-shot moment of discovery).
Future, Conditional, Subjunctive
Future / conditional drop the e: sabr-. Subjunctive uses sep- stem.
| yo (future) |
| yo (conditional) |
| yo (present subjunctive) |
| yo (present perfect) |
Que yo sepa (as far as I know) is a high-frequency fixed phrase using the subjunctive.
Saber Conjugation FAQs
- What does saber mean and when do you use it in Spanish?
- Saber means to know, specifically facts (Sé la respuesta), information (¿Sabes dónde está?), or how to do something (Sé nadar). Distinct from conocer, which is to know people or be familiar with a place. Saber + a means to taste like (Sabe a limón).
- How does saber conjugate in the present tense?
- Sé, sabes, sabe, sabemos, sabéis, saben. Only the yo form is irregular (sé, with accent to distinguish from the reflexive pronoun se). Other forms are regular -er.
- What's the preterite of saber?
- Supe, supiste, supo, supimos, supisteis, supieron. Uses the u-stem (sup-), no accents. Often shifts meaning to found out: Supe la verdad = I found out the truth.
- What's the difference between saber and conocer?
- Saber = know facts, information, or how to do something. Conocer = know people, places, or be familiar with something. Sé cocinar (I know how to cook) vs. Conozco a María (I know María). See the saber vs. conocer page for full coverage.
- How can I get better at conjugating saber?
- Exposure to native speakers using saber for facts, skills, and the found-out preterite is the fastest path. Parrot's daily videos feature sé, supe, sabré, sepa in real conversations, so the irregular forms become automatic.