sé/sabes/sabe/sabemos/saben
Saber Present Tense
Use 'saber' to talk about knowing facts, information, or skills. The 'yo' form is irregular: 'sé'.
How It Works
The verb 'saber' is fundamental for expressing knowledge in Spanish. Its usage can be broken down into two main categories:
1. To know facts or information.
This is used when you know a piece of information, like a name, an address, a time, or a fact.
- ¿Sabes qué hora es? (Do you know what time it is?)
- Ella sabe la capital de Francia. (She knows the capital of France.)
2. To know how to do something.
When 'saber' is followed by an infinitive (the basic form of a verb), it means 'to know how to' do that action. This is a very common structure.
- Yo sé nadar. (I know how to swim.)
- Ellos saben cocinar muy bien. (They know how to cook very well.)
Important Note: Saber vs. Conocer
'Saber' is often confused with 'conocer'. While both mean 'to know', they are not interchangeable. Use 'saber' for facts and skills, and use 'conocer' for familiarity with people, places, or things.
Examples (5)
- Yo sé la respuesta.
I know the answer.
Word by Word: I know the answer.
- ¿Tú sabes dónde está la estación?
Do you know where the station is?
Word by Word: You know where is the station?
- Él sabe hablar japonés.
He knows how to speak Japanese.
Word by Word: He knows to speak Japanese.
When 'saber' is followed by an infinitive like 'hablar', it means 'to know how to'.
- Nosotros no sabemos su nombre.
We don't know his name.
Word by Word: We not know his name.
- Ellas saben que la película empieza a las ocho.
They know that the movie starts at eight.
Word by Word: They know that the movie starts at the eight.
Common Mistakes
Forgetting the irregular 'yo' form 'sé'.
Yo sabo la verdad.Yo sé la verdad.The first-person singular ('yo') form of 'saber' is irregular: 'sé'. The form 'sabo' does not exist in Spanish.
Using 'saber' to talk about knowing a person or being familiar with a place.
Yo sé a tu amigo Juan.Yo conozco a tu amigo Juan.Use 'saber' for facts and skills. To express familiarity with people, places, or things, you must use the verb 'conocer'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn the present tense of 'saber', you first need to understand subject pronouns to know who is doing the action. You should also be familiar with regular -er verb endings, as 'saber' follows these patterns for most of its forms, despite having an irregular first-person singular form.
Related Patterns
- saber + InfinitiveKnow How to
This pattern explains a specific and very common use of 'saber' to mean 'to know how to' do something, like 'sé nadar' (I know how to swim).
Level 1 - pongo/digo/vengo/salgoFirst Person -go Verbs
'Saber' is irregular in the first person ('yo sé'). This is similar to '-go' verbs, which also have a special 'yo' form.
Level 1 - poder + InfinitiveAbility/Permission
Like 'saber + infinitive' (to know how to), 'poder + infinitive' is another common structure used to talk about abilities (to be able to).
Level 1 - yo/tú/él/ella/ustedSubject Pronouns (Singular)
Understanding subject pronouns is essential for knowing which form of 'saber' to use (e.g., 'yo sé', 'tú sabes').
Foundations
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice sé/sabes/sabe/sabemos/saben in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Spanish lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
