sabiendo
“sabiendo” means “knowing” in Spanish (as a simultaneous action).
📝 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.
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: sabiendo
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'sabiendo' to express a condition?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The verb 'saber' comes from the Latin word *sapere*, which originally meant 'to taste' or 'to have flavor,' and later evolved to mean 'to be wise' or 'to know.' 'Sabiendo' is simply the 'doing' form of this ancient verb.
First recorded: Before the 10th century (as *saber*)
Cognates (Related words)
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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.