Verb · irregular
saber
to know a fact
The thing that catches people out
saber is knowing information, conocer is knowing a person or place. sé la respuesta but conozco a Ana. English collapses both into know, which is why this pair catches every learner once.
Present
What happens, and what is happening now.
| yo | sé | |
| tú | sabes | |
| él, ella, usted | sabe | |
| nosotros | sabemos | |
| ellos, ustedes | saben | |
| vosotros, Spain only | sabéis |
Preterite, the finished past
Something that happened and is over: yesterday, last year, once.
| yo | supe | |
| tú | supiste | |
| él, ella, usted | supo | |
| nosotros | supimos | |
| ellos, ustedes | supieron | |
| vosotros, Spain only | supisteis |
Imperfect, the background past
What used to happen, or was going on when something else happened.
| yo | sabía | |
| tú | sabías | |
| él, ella, usted | sabía | |
| nosotros | sabíamos | |
| ellos, ustedes | sabían | |
| vosotros, Spain only | sabíais |
Future
Will do. In conversation, ir a plus the verb is more common: voy a comer.
| yo | sabré | |
| tú | sabrás | |
| él, ella, usted | sabrá | |
| nosotros | sabremos | |
| ellos, ustedes | sabrán | |
| vosotros, Spain only | sabréis |
Present perfect
Have done. Used far more in Spain, where it covers today; most of Latin America uses the preterite there.
| yo | he sabido | |
| tú | has sabido | |
| él, ella, usted | ha sabido | |
| nosotros | hemos sabido | |
| ellos, ustedes | han sabido | |
| vosotros, Spain only | habéis sabido |
Other forms
The -ing form, the form that follows he, has and ha, and how to tell someone to do it.
| -ing form | sabiendo | |
| participle | sabido |
No command form in everyday use.
In a sentence
no sé
I do not know
¿sabes dónde está?
do you know where it is?