What is the Difference Between Savoir and Connaitre?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚In French, there are two words for the English verb "know": savoir and connaître. The difference between them depends on the context and the word that follows:
- Savoir means "to know a fact" or "to know how to do something." It is used for acquired knowledge, facts, or knowing how to do something. For example:
- Je sais conduire ("I know how to drive").
- Je sais que tu parles français ("I know you speak French").
- Connaître means "to know a person" or "to be familiar with a person, place, or thing." It is used for knowing or being acquainted with people, places, and areas of study. For example:
- Je connais Paul ("I know Paul").
- Tu connais Paris? ("Do you know Paris?").
In summary, use savoir for obtained knowledge, such as facts or knowing how to do something, and use connaître for knowing or being familiar with people, places, and things.
On this pageWhat is the Difference Between Savoir and Connaitre? Comparative Table: Savoir vs Connaitre
Comparative Table: Savoir vs Connaitre
Here is a table summarizing the differences between "savoir" and "connaître" in French:
Verb | Meaning | Usage | Examples |
---|---|---|---|
savoir | to know with a sense of having acquired knowledge, to know how to do something | followed by an interrogative expression (où, pourquoi, qui, avec qui, quand, etc.) or at the end of a sentence | Tu sais où il habite? (Do you know where he lives?) Je sais conduire (I know how to drive) |
connaître | to know as in to be familiar with, to know a person or to be familiar with a person, place, or thing | usually followed by a noun or an interrogative expression (Est-ce que tu connais…?) | Est-ce que vous connaissez Paris? (Do you know Paris?) Je connais bien le français (I know a lot of French) |
In summary, "savoir" is used for acquired knowledge, facts, or knowing how to do something, while "connaître" is used for knowing or being familiar with people, places, or things.
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