How do you say to know in Spanish?

Spanish has two verbs for to know: saber and conocer. Use saber for facts and abilities ("Sé la respuesta" = I know the answer) and conocer for people and places ("Conozco a tu mamá" = I know your mom).

What is the difference between saber and conocer?

Saber covers factual knowledge and skills — anything you can learn from a book or through practice. Conocer covers experiential knowledge — people you've met, cities you've visited, foods you've tried. A quick test: if you can replace "know" with "am familiar with," use conocer; if "have the information," use saber.

Why does saber become sé and conocer become conozco?

Both verbs are irregular in the first person present. Saber drops to the single-syllable sé (which also carries a written accent to distinguish it from the pronoun se). Conocer inserts a z before the c → conozco. These yo-form irregularities are extremely common in high-frequency Spanish verbs.

Spanish vocabulary · Beginner

How to Say To Know in Spanish: Saber vs. Conocer

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Saber · verb · sah-BEHR

English uses one verb — "to know" — but Spanish splits it into two: saber for facts, information, and skills (sé nadar = I know how to swim) and conocer for people, places, and things you've experienced (conozco Madrid = I know Madrid). Both are irregular in the yo form: sé and conozco.

Saber: sah-BEHR, with yo sé (SEH). Conocer: koh-noh-SEHR, with yo conozco (koh-NOHS-koh). The c in conozco becomes zc before o.

¿Sabes dónde está la estación?

Do you know where the station is?

To Know in Spanish: Quick Reference

Below are the most common Spanish words for to know, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.

Spanish	English	Pronunciation	Region / Register
saber	to know	sah-BEHR	Default, widely understood
conocer	to know		to know a person, place, or thing through experience

How Native Speakers Use Saber

Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.

Knowing a fact

¿Sabes qué hora es? Se me olvidó el reloj.

Do you know what time it is? I forgot my watch.

Saber is for factual knowledge, information, and data — things you can state or recall.

Knowing how to do something (a skill)

Mi hija ya sabe leer y escribir en dos idiomas.

My daughter already knows how to read and write in two languages.

Saber + infinitive means to know how to do something. No extra word for 'how' is needed.

Knowing a person

¿Conoces a la nueva directora del colegio?

Do you know the new school principal?

Conocer is for people you've met. The personal a is required before the person: conocer a alguien.

Knowing a place through experience

Conozco bien Barcelona porque viví allí tres años.

I know Barcelona well because I lived there for three years.

Conocer with places means you've been there and are familiar with them firsthand.

Avoid These Mistakes When Using Saber

Using saber for people

Incorrect: ¿Sabes a mi hermano?

Correct: ¿Conoces a mi hermano?

Knowing a person requires conocer, not saber. Saber is for facts and skills. This is one of the most common errors English speakers make in Spanish.

Using conocer for factual information

Incorrect: ¿Conoces cuánto cuesta?

Correct: ¿Sabes cuánto cuesta?

When asking about a fact, price, answer, or piece of data, use saber. Conocer implies personal familiarity, not informational knowledge.

Lock in To Know Vocabulary with the Parrot Method

Why word lists alone don't stick

Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.

See Saber used by native speakers

Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using saber in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear ¿Sabes dónde está la estación? while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.

Save, review, repeat, stay consistent

Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.

Common Questions About To Know in Spanish

How do you say to know in Spanish?: Spanish has two verbs for to know: saber and conocer. Use saber for facts and abilities ("Sé la respuesta" = I know the answer) and conocer for people and places ("Conozco a tu mamá" = I know your mom).
What is the difference between saber and conocer?: Saber covers factual knowledge and skills — anything you can learn from a book or through practice. Conocer covers experiential knowledge — people you've met, cities you've visited, foods you've tried. A quick test: if you can replace "know" with "am familiar with," use conocer; if "have the information," use saber.
Why does saber become sé and conocer become conozco?: Both verbs are irregular in the first person present. Saber drops to the single-syllable sé (which also carries a written accent to distinguish it from the pronoun se). Conocer inserts a z before the c → conozco. These yo-form irregularities are extremely common in high-frequency Spanish verbs.