Savoir or connaître: which French verb means “know”?
Choose savoir for facts and skills, connaître for familiarity. Compare examples, all six present forms and four questions with clear explanations.
In short
Use savoir for facts and learned skills: Je sais où elle habite; Je sais nager. Use connaître for familiarity with a person, place or thing: Je connais Léa; Je connais ce quartier. Look at the whole idea after “know” in English.
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What is the difference between savoir and connaître?
savoir que… / savoir où…know a fact or answer
Focus: information you can state or a question you can answer
savoir + que / où / quand / comment / si + clause
Je sais que le cours commence à neuf heures.
I know that the class starts at nine.
Tu sais où est la piscine ?
Do you know where the swimming pool is?
savoir faire quelque choseknow how to do something
Focus: a learned skill
savoir + infinitive
Ma sœur sait jouer du piano.
My sister knows how to play the piano.
Nous savons nager.
We know how to swim.
connaître quelqu’un ou quelque choseknow someone or be familiar with something
Focus: familiarity through contact or experience
connaître + noun or object pronoun
Je connais le professeur de musique.
I know the music teacher.
Vous connaissez ce quartier ?
Do you know this neighbourhood?
- Léa
Tu connais la nouvelle piscine ?
Do you know the new swimming pool?
- Samir
Oui, j’y vais souvent. Tu sais nager ?
Yes, I go there often. Do you know how to swim?
- Léa
Oui. Tu sais à quelle heure elle ouvre dimanche ?
Yes. Do you know what time it opens on Sunday?
- Samir
Non, je ne sais pas. Je vais regarder les horaires.
No, I don’t know. I’ll check the opening times.
Samir knows the place because he goes there. The next two questions ask about a skill and a piece of information. Je ne sais pas is a complete reply when the missing information is clear from the previous question.
How do you conjugate savoir and connaître in the present?
| Subject | savoir | connaître |
|---|---|---|
| je | sais | connais |
| tu | sais | connais |
| il / elle / on | sait | connaît |
| nous | savons | connaissons |
| vous | savez | connaissez |
| ils / elles | savent | connaissent |
A skill and a possibility are different
Je sais nager, mais je ne peux pas nager aujourd’hui : la piscine est fermée.
I know how to swim, but I can’t swim today: the swimming pool is closed.
The skill remains even when the pool is shut. For the skill, savoir goes straight into the infinitive: savoir nager, savoir conduire, savoir jouer de la guitare. Keep the preposition belonging to the activity itself: jouer de la guitare still needs de.
Which nouns can follow both savoir and connaître?
Je sais la réponse. Je connais la réponse.
I know the answer. I know the answer.
Both are possible. A noun after the verb is a clue, rather than a complete decision rule.
Savoir son texte can mean knowing one’s lines by heart. For a reliable first choice, use the clear patterns above: savoir before an indirect question or a skill infinitive; connaître for a person or a familiar place.