Ch 16 · Lesson 15Spanish · Chapter 16 · Lesson 15 · Grammar primer
Saber vs conocer
Two verbs for 'to know': for facts and how-to, for being acquainted with people and places (and 'to meet' in the preterite).
The short version
Pedro .
Why?Hide
In the preterite both verbs shift to the moment the knowing began. is 'I met for the first time', not 'I knew'; is 'I found out'. For the lasting past state you want the imperfect: a Pedro, Madrid. So a MarĂa is a first meeting, never an old friendship.
Saber vs conocer at a glance
The whole split on one screen. Everything below is detail.
| What you know | Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A fact | . I know it's late. | |
| Where, when... | . I don't know where it is. | |
| A piece of data | Âż ? Do you know his name? | |
| How to do it | . I can swim. | |
| A person | . I know your brother. | |
| A place | Madrid. I know Madrid. | |
| A thing | . I know that song. |
The test: if the English could be "I know that", "I know how to" or "I know where", it is . If it means "I am familiar with", it is .
The preterite trap: conocĂ and supe
In the preterite both verbs name the moment the knowing began. So is "I met" and is "I found out". For the lasting state, use the imperfect:
conocĂ a Pedro: I met him (one moment)
conocĂa a Pedro: I knew him (the state that followed)
Timeline from past to now, with now marked.
| Tense | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| preterite | Pedro . | I met Pedro last year. |
| imperfect | Pedro. | I already knew Pedro. |
| preterite | . | I found out the truth yesterday. |
| imperfect | . | I already knew the truth. |
So MarĂa is a first meeting, never a description of an old friendship. The full picture is on preterite vs imperfect.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| . | . | a clause is a fact |
| a MarĂa. | MarĂa. | a person takes |
| . | . | a skill takes |
| Âż Madrid? | Âż Madrid? | a place takes |
| . | . | a person needs the personal a |
| Conoco a Ana. | Ana. | the yo form has a z |
| a Ana. | Ana. | a first meeting is preterite |
Going further: Saber: facts, information, know-how and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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10-question session
One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end. There are 31 in all: practise more afterwards if you want them.
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