Savoir or Connaître: Choosing the Right French Verb for 'To Know'

Present Tense Conjugations

First, let's look at how to conjugate these two irregular verbs in the present tense. Notice that the 'nous' and 'vous' forms for connaître are regular, while all forms for savoir are irregular.

When to Use Savoir

Use savoir for facts, information, and learned skills. Think of it as knowing 'how' or 'that' something is true. It is often followed by a clause, a question word, or an infinitive verb.

• To express knowledge of a fact, often with que (that): Je sais que le train part à 10h. (I know that the train leaves at 10am.)
• With a question word like où (where), quand (when), comment (how), pourquoi (why), or si (if): Elle ne sait pas pourquoi il est parti. (She doesn't know why he left.) Savez-vous si le musée est ouvert ? (Do you know if the museum is open?)
• To talk about a learned skill or ability, using savoir + infinitive: Il sait conduire. (He knows how to drive.) Nous savons parler français. (We know how to speak French.)
• On its own in a short answer, referring to a piece of information: Qui a la réponse ? Moi, je sais ! (Who has the answer? Me, I know!)

When to Use Connaître

Use connaître to express familiarity or acquaintance with a person, place, or thing. It's about being familiar with something, not knowing a fact about it. It is always followed directly by a noun or a pronoun.

• For people: Je connais bien tes parents. (I know your parents well.)
• For places: Est-ce que tu connais Bordeaux ? (Do you know Bordeaux? / Are you familiar with Bordeaux?)
• For things (like books, movies, music, concepts): Elle connaît cette histoire par cœur. (She knows this story by heart.) Je ne connais pas ce film. (I don't know this movie.)

Connaître is never followed by que (that), an infinitive verb, or a question word. The structure connaître que is always incorrect.

Savoir or Connaître with the Same Noun?

Sometimes, both verbs can be used with the same noun, but the meaning changes. This highlights the core difference: savoir is for factual, objective knowledge, while connaître is for subjective familiarity.

Consider 'the answer' (la réponse):

• Je sais la réponse. means 'I know what the answer is.' I possess the factual information and can state it.
• Je connais la réponse. is less common, but it implies 'I am familiar with the answer.' Perhaps I've seen it before and would recognize it, but I can't produce it from memory.

Another example is 'the story' (l'histoire):

• Je sais l'histoire. means 'I know the facts of the story, I can recount it.'
• Je connais l'histoire. means 'I am familiar with the story, I've heard it before.'

Past Tense Nuances: Passé Composé vs. Imparfait

In the past, the choice of tense dramatically changes the meaning of these verbs. The imparfait describes an ongoing state of knowing in the past (I knew, I was familiar with). The passé composé, however, describes an event or a change: the moment you found something out or met someone.

A good way to remember this is: j'ai su is the moment you discovered a fact, and j'ai connu is the moment you first met someone or experienced something for the first time (J'ai connu la peur ce jour-là means 'I experienced fear that day').

Related Expressions: Se Connaître and S'y Connaître

Se connaître is a reflexive verb with two main meanings:

• To know oneself: Pour être heureux, il faut bien se connaître. (To be happy, you must know yourself well.)
• To know each other: Nous nous sommes connus au lycée. (We met/got to know each other in high school.)

S'y connaître en [quelque chose] is a very useful idiom meaning 'to be an expert in' or 'to know a lot about' a specific subject.

• Mon père s'y connaît en voitures. (My father knows a lot about cars.)
• Tu t'y connais en champignons ? (Are you an expert on mushrooms?)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• **Mistake**: Je connais que le magasin est fermé. **Correction**: Je sais que le magasin est fermé. (Reason: Use savoir before a que clause.)
• **Mistake**: Elle sait beaucoup de bons restaurants. **Correction**: Elle connaît beaucoup de bons restaurants. (Reason: Use connaître for familiarity with places or things.)
• **Mistake**: Tu sais jouer au tennis ? ,Oui, je connais. **Correction**: ,Oui, je sais. (Reason: The short answer must use the same verb, savoir, used for the skill.)
• **Mistake**: J'ai connu la nouvelle ce matin. **Correction**: J'ai su la nouvelle ce matin. (Reason: Use j'ai su for finding out a piece of news or a fact.)

Check Your Understanding

Quick self-check

1. Il ___ très bien la littérature française. (He knows French literature very well.)

   Show answer

   connaît

2. Je ne ___ pas à quelle heure il arrive. (I don't know what time he arrives.)

   Show answer

   sais

3. C'est à ce moment-là que j'ai ___ la vérité. (It was at that moment that I found out the truth.)

   Show answer

   su

4. Nous nous ___ en vins. (We are experts in wine.)

   Show answer

   nous y connaissons

Not sure where you stand? The free Vocalyra level test gives you a CEFR estimate and a recommended starting point.

• Take the free French level test
• Browse all free guides