Saber is irregular verb in Spanish 🧠✨. 👉Irregular verbs lesson
Although it follows regular patterns in some tenses (like the imperfect: yo sabía, tú sabías), it shows clear irregularities in others:
🚨 Key Irregularities:
Present tense:
- yo sé (with an accent!)
- tú sabes, él sabe…
→ The form sé breaks the regular pattern.
Future and conditional:
- sabré, sabría…
→ Uses the stem sabr- instead of sab-.
- sabré, sabría…
Preterite (simple past):
- supe, supiste, supo…
→ The stem changes completely to sup-.
- supe, supiste, supo…
What "Saber" Really Means: Facts and Skills
%20(1).jpg "Conjugating Saber")
Mi hermano no sabe dónde está Nicaragua.
Think of "saber" as knowing information or knowing how to do something. It's about knowledge that you could write down in a book or demonstrate as a skill.1. To Know Facts and Information
Use "saber" when you're talking about knowing a piece of information, a fact, or data. If you can ask a question with who, what, where, when, why, or how, you'll likely use "saber" in the answer.- Yo sé tu número de teléfono. (I know your phone number.)
- ¿Sabes qué hora es? (Do you know what time it is?
- Mi hermano no sabe dónde está Nicaragua. (My brother doesn't know where Nicaragua is.)
- Nosotros sabemos que el examen es mañana. (We know that the test is tomorrow.)
2. To Know How to Do Something (Skills)
This is a very common and important use. When you want to say you know how to perform a skill, you use the formula: saber + [infinitive verb]. In English, we explicitly say "how to," but in Spanish, the "how to" is built right into "saber."- Yo no sé italiano. (I don't know Italian.)
- Ella sabe nadar muy bien. (She knows how to swim very well.)
- ¿Ustedes saben usar este programa? (Do you all know how to use this program?)
- Él sabe cocinar paella. (He knows how to cook paella.)
The Big Question: "Saber" vs. "Conocer"
This is the main challenge for English speakers. Both verbs can mean "to know," but they are not interchangeable. We've established that "saber" is for facts and skills. "Conocer", on the other hand, means to know or be familiar/acquainted with a person, place, or thing.Here's a simple way to remember it:
- Saber: For the mind (facts, information, skills).
- Conocer: For the senses and experience (familiarity with people and places).
| Saber (Facts & Skills) | Conocer (Familiarity with People & Places) |
| Yo sé quién es el presidente. (I know who the president is - a fact.) | Yo conozco al presidente. (I know the president - I've met him.) |
| Ella sabe mucho de arte. (She knows a lot about art - information.) | Ella conoce el Museo del Prado. (She knows/is familiar with the Prado Museum.) |
| ¿Sabes la capital de Nicaragua? (Do you know the capital of Nicaragua? - a fact.) | ¿Conoces Nicaragua? (Do you know/Have you been to Nicaragua?) |
"Saber" Conjugation Charts (The Essentials)
Here are the conjugations for "saber" in the most common tenses. The first-person present tense ("yo sé") is irregular, so pay close attention to it!Present Tense (Presente)
Used for current facts and abilities.| Pronoun | Conjugation |
| yo | sé |
| tú | sabes |
| él/ella/Ud. | sabe |
| nosotros/as | sabemos |
| vosotros/as | sabéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | saben |
Example: Sé hablar un poco de español. (I know how to speak a little Spanish.)
Preterite Tense (Pretérito)
Used for finding something out at a specific moment in the past. (See special meaning below!)
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
| yo | supe |
| tú | supiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | supo |
| nosotros/as | supimos |
| vosotros/as | supisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | supieron |
Example: Ayer supe que te mudabas. (Yesterday I found out you were moving.)
Imperfect Tense (Imperfecto)
Used for knowing something over a period of time in the past.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
| yo | sabía |
| tú | sabías |
| él/ella/Ud. | sabía |
| nosotros/as | sabíamos |
| vosotros/as | sabíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sabían |
Example: Cuando era niño, no sabía nadar. (When I was a child, I didn't know how to swim.)
Future Tense (Futuro)
Used for what you will know in the future.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
| yo | sabré |
| tú | sabrás |
| él/ella/Ud. | sabrá |
| nosotros/as | sabremos |
| vosotros/as | sabréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sabrán |
Example: Mañana sabremos los resultados. (Tomorrow we will know the results.)
Special Meanings and Uses You Should Know
"Saber" has a couple of extra meanings that are very common in daily conversation.
"Saber a..." = To Taste Like...
When talking about flavors, "saber" takes on a whole new meaning! 😋
El pollo sabe a limón. (The chicken tastes like lemon.)
Este café no sabe a nada. (This coffee doesn't taste like anything.)
"Supe" = To Find Out
As shown in the preterite chart, when you conjugate "saber" in the preterite tense (supe, supiste, supo, etc.), the meaning often shifts from "I knew" to "I found out" or "I discovered."- Imperfect: Yo sabía la verdad. (I knew the truth. - ongoing knowledge)
- Preterite: Yo supe la verdad. (I found out the truth. - a specific discovery)
By focusing on the difference between facts/skills (saber) and familiarity (conocer), you've already conquered the biggest challenge. Keep practicing, and soon using "saber" will be second nature! ¡Tú puedes! 👍
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