Saber vs Conocer

April 04, 2020

CLASS - 8

Dear Students,

First of all, I would like to welcome you all on coming to Class 8.

This is our first class using the blog and I want us to take maximum benefit from it.

As we all are having difficulties in coping with the Coronavirus pandemic, what best we can do at our end is we follow all the instructions and precautionary measures given by our parents, our doctors and our teachers. We all need to help our society in this battle against Covid-19 in whatever capacity we can. I believe, our foremost duty right now is to establish a good online study atmosphere. For this, we need to complete our work right on time.
Here, I would like to quote my favourite writer Sir George Orwell - Who controls the past, controls the future, who controls the present controls the past.

While your parents are busy taking care you and everything you need. You are expected to use this love and care in your studies. I wish you all the very best for your future.

So, now we have to take hold of the present and showcase some academic brilliance.

Thank you for taking the first step and logging in ! You all are the best !

Before we start our topic, lets take a look at some important point for my blog.

Last year in class 7, we studied present, past and future tense in Spanish. We learnt to conjugate verbs in all the tenses and frame sentences, write paragraphs, letters, email and school application. This year we will read short stories, beautiful poems and newspaper articles in spanish to grow our vocabulary and have greater command in spanish language. This year we are going to start translation work.

➤ As many of you do not have the Spanish notebook, you all can write your classwork in a diary, old notebook or you can take the print out of the blog.

➤ I will be posting photos of the of the pages of your class 8 Spanish book.

➤ Classwork and home works to be done on time.

➤ All to get a good spanish dictionary for translation work.

Vamos a empezar el tema de hoy

First of all, take out your notebook and write the heading and date, then continue to note down rest of the lesson.

Saber Vs. Conocer

In Spanish, there are two verbs that has same meaning “to know.”

These two verbs are “saber” and “conocer.”

➤ Conjugation of Saber ( present tense) -

Sé	Sabes	Sabe
Sabemos	Sabéis	saben

➤ Conjugation of Conocer ( present tense) -

Conozco	Conoces	Conoce
Conocemos	Conoceis	conocen

The verb you choose depends upon the context in which it is used. These verbs are not interchangeable. That means, you cannot use saber in place of conocer or Conocer in place of saber.

{ imp. - Rules to be memorised immediately. }

Por ejemplo :

Conocer - I know Mahatma Gandhi - Yo conozco a Mahatma Gandhi

explanation : Here in this sentence, I want to say that I am familiar with Mahatma Gandhi. As in, I know him and he also knows me.

Now look at the example sentence with Saber.

Saber - I know that Mahatma Gandhi is the Father of nation - Yo sé que Mahatma Gandhi es el Padre de la nación.

explanation : here in this sentence, I want say that I know Mahatma Gandhi is the Father of nation. This I know as a fact. Se, here I will use Saber.

⧭ To express knowledge or ignorance of a fact or information about something, use “saber.”

Por ejemplo

Juan sabe dónde está María.
Juan knows where Maria is.

Yo no sé tu número de teléfono.
I don’t know your telephone number.

The first sentence is about the location of Maria. Thus, it is a fact. So we will use saber. I hope you haven't forgotten how to conjugate verbs.

The second sentence is about the telephone number. Again, It is an information. So we will use Saber.

To say that one is or is not acquainted with a person, a place, or an object, use conocer.

Yo no conozco a María.
I don’t know (am not acquainted with) Maria.

Alberto y Alfredo conocen Madrid.
Alberto and Alfredo know (are acquainted with) Madrid.

To express knowledge of a subject or learning discipline, use saber or conocer, depending upon the context.

Juan no sabe nada de inglés.
Juan doesn’t know any English.

Él sabe matemáticas.
He knows mathematics.

Juan conoce la literatura española.
Juan is familiar with Spanish literature.

To express knowledge of a skill, or how to do something, use saber + infinitive.

María sabe conducir.
Maria knows how to drive.

No sé nadar muy bien.
I don’t know how to swim very well.

To say that you know something by heart, use saber.

María sabe los verbos regulares.
Maria knows the irregular verbs (by heart).

Ella no sabe la letra de esa canción.
She doesn’t know the words to that song.

Click ➤ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIjHG0XwZUs&t=821s for more about Saber and Conocer

Recapitulate