What level is The Semi-Modal Verb Savoir vs. Connaître?

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French Conjugation

The Semi-Modal Verb Savoir vs. Connaître

Distinguishing between savoir (to know facts, skills) and connaître (to be familiar with people and places).

Level A2 Category Conjugation

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Lesson Summary

Distinguishing between savoir (to know facts, skills) and connaître (to be familiar with people and places).

Conjugation

Two Verbs for ‘to Know’

French possesses two distinct verbs that correspond to the English ‘to know’: savoir refers to the knowledge of facts, information, or how to perform an action; connaître denotes familiarity with a person, a place, or a thing through personal experience. The past participle of savoir (su) has already been encountered in the irregular participles with avoir.

Present Tense of Savoir

Subject	Form	Example
je (j’)	sais	Je sais la réponse.
tu	sais	Tu sais parler français ?
il / elle / on	sait	Elle sait où il habite.
nous	savons	Nous savons la date de la fête.
vous	savez	Vous savez conduire ?
ils / elles	savent	Ils savent que c’est interdit.

Present Tense of Connaître

Subject	Form	Example
je (j’)	connais	Je connais bien cette ville.
tu	connais	Tu connais mes parents ?
il / elle / on	connaît	Il connaît le patron du restaurant.
nous	connaissons	Nous connaissons un bon médecin.
vous	connaissez	Vous connaissez ce quartier ?
ils / elles	connaissent	Elles connaissent la musique classique.

Usage Rules

Savoir is used in the following constructions:

- savoir + infinitive: Je sais nager.
- savoir + que / si / quand / où / pourquoi etc.: Je sais qu’il est malade.
- savoir + noun (limited to facts, lessons, addresses): Je sais la leçon par cœur.

Connaître is followed directly by a noun (or pronoun) referring to a person, place, work, or concept with which one has direct acquaintance:

- Je connais Thomas.
- Elle connaît l’Italie.
- Vous connaissez ce restaurant ?

For the complement structures (e.g., que clauses, interrogative words), see forming questions with est-ce que and the relevant subordination patterns.

Examples

Je sais parler espagnol, mais je ne connais pas le Mexique.
Sais + infinitive (parler) vs. connais + noun (le Mexique).
Tu connais le nouveau médecin ? Oui, je sais qu’il est très compétent.
Connais + person; sais + que clause.

Related searches

These are the main phrases this lesson covers:

The Semi-Modal Verb Savoir vs. ConnaîtreDistinguishing between savoir (to know facts, skills) and connaître (to be familiar with people and places).Select savoir or connaître according to the grammatical construction that follows the verb.ConjugationA2conjugationLearn French ConjugationFrench ConjugationTwo Verbs for ‘to Know’French possesses two distinct verbs that correspond to the English ‘to know’: savoir refers to the knowledge of facts, information, or how to perform an action; connaître denotes familiarity with a person, a place, or a thing through personal experience. The past participle of savoir (su) has already been encountered in the irregular participles with avoir.