sabiendo
sah-byén-doh
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Ella siguió caminando, sabiendo que él la seguía.
B1She kept walking, knowing that he was following her.
Están sabiendo la verdad ahora mismo.
B2They are learning/finding out the truth right now. (Less common in this progressive structure)
Sabiendo lo difícil que es, decidí ayudar.
A2Knowing how difficult it is, I decided to help.
💡 Grammar Points
The Gerund's Job
The gerund 'sabiendo' (the -ndo form) is used to show two actions happening at the same time, often explaining the reason or condition for the main action.
Forming Continuous Tenses
Combine 'sabiendo' with the verb 'estar' (to be) to form continuous actions, like 'estoy sabiendo' (I am knowing), although this is much less common for 'saber' than for action verbs.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using the Infinitive Instead
Mistake: "Hizo la tarea para saber la respuesta."
Correction: Hizo la tarea sabiendo la respuesta. (He did the homework knowing the answer.) The gerund is needed when the subject is performing two actions simultaneously.
⭐ Usage Tips
Adverbial Shortcut
You can often translate 'sabiendo' as 'because I/you/he knew' or 'since I/you/he knew' when it starts a sentence, acting as a shortcut for a causal clause.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: sabiendo
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'sabiendo' to express a condition?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I use 'sabiendo' instead of 'que sabía' (that I/he knew)?
Use 'sabiendo' when the person who 'knows' is the same person performing the main action in the sentence. It makes the sentence shorter and smoother: 'Caminó sabiendo el peligro' (He walked, knowing the danger) is better than 'Caminó y sabía el peligro'.
Is 'sabiendo' irregular?
Yes, its base verb 'saber' is highly irregular (changing its stem from 'sab-' to 'sup-' in the past tense and having a unique 'sé' for 'I know'), but the gerund form 'sabiendo' follows the standard -iendo pattern for -er verbs.