The verb savoir literally means "to know," but it can be used in several contexts. Let's take a look at them.
French
English
Je sais toutes ses chansons par cœur.
I know all his songs by heart.
Usage in the Sentence
Rule 1: The verb savoir is followed by an infinitive and is used to show that you know something, such as:
- being able to do something (can)
French
English
Elle sait parler anglais.
She can speak English.
- to know something as a fact
French
English
Je sais où il habite.
I know where he lives.
- to know something by heart
French
English
II faut la savoir par cœur.
You have to know it by heart.
- to know how to do something
French
English
Je ne sais pas nager.
I don't know how to swim.
Rule 2: The verb savoir is also used with subordinate clauses:
French
English
Je sais qu'il l'a fait.
I know he did it.
Savoir vs. Connaître
Rule 3: Savoir is rarely used in conjunction with a noun - for example, when you're talking about knowing someone or something. Here, the verb connaître is mostly used.
French
English
Je connais l'adresse.
I know the address.
To learn more about the difference between savoir and connaître, you can visit our article about the common French verbs.
Conjugation
Rule 4: The verb savoir is a common French verb, but is irregular. Here is how it's conjugated in the present:
| je | sais |
| tu | sais |
| il, elle, on | sait |
| nous | savons |
| vous | savez |
| ils, elles | savent |
| je | sais |
| tu | sais |
| il, elle, on | sait |
| nous | savons |
| vous | savez |
| ils, elles | savent |
Quiz
1/3
Je ___ faire du vélo.
0
correct answers.