The verb saber (conjugation) means "to know". It is irregular in the present tense.
yo
sé
(I know)
tú
sabes
(you know)
Ud./él/ella
sabe
(you/he/she knows)
nosotros (as)
sabemos
(we know)
vosotros (as)
sabéis
(you guys know)
Uds./ellos/ ellas
saben
(you all/they know)
Saber is used when we know something by heart.
Yo sé la fecha.
I know the date.
Mi primo todavía no sabe contar a diez.
My cousin doesn't know how to count to ten yet.
Saber is used when we know how to do something.
Mi amiga sabe patinar.
My friend knows how to skate.
Ella sabe hacer un pastel.
She knows how to make a cake.
Saber is used when we know certain facts.
Sabemos que es una clase de inglés y que se reúne los lunes y miércoles.
We know it's an English class and they meet Mondays and Wednesdays.
Sabía que habían robado el coche.
I knew they had stolen the car.
Present Tense
Present Tense - Interrogative
Present Perfect
Present Subjunctive
Preterite Tense
Imperfect Tense
Future Indicative
Infinitive - Mixed tenses
Advanced Spanish
Conocer vs. Saber
The basic meaning of conocer is “to be acquainted with” and thus may be used as “to know” persons or places, or “to be familiar” with [rather than “to know by heart”] something such as a literary work. In the preterit it can be equivalent of the word “met”, that is, “made the acquaintance of”.
Yo no conozco a María. - I don't know María.
¿Ya conociste a mi hermano? - Did you meet my brother already?
Sí, pero estuvimos contentos de conocer la cueva. - Yes, but we were happy to see the cave.
Conozco San Salvador. - I've been to San Salvador.
Saber means “to know” a fact. It may also be used as “to know how to” when followed by an infinitive.
Yo sé que tú vas a hacer el trabajo mañana si puedes. - I know you will do the job tomorrow if you can.
Yo sé un poco de español. - I know a little bit of Spanish.
No sabemos quién es el hombre sentado allí.
We don't know who the fellow seated over there is.
Note that saber and not conocer is used in the third example —with quién— because the issue is knowledge of information, not of acquaintance.
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