supo
“supo” means “knew” in Spanish (past tense realization).
knew, found out
Also: managed to
📝 In Action
Ella supo la noticia por la radio esta mañana.
A2She found out the news on the radio this morning.
Él supo manejar la situación con mucha calma.
B1He managed to handle the situation very calmly.
Usted supo la respuesta correcta después de pensarlo un rato.
B1You (formal) figured out the correct answer after thinking about it for a while.
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: supo
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'supo' to mean 'found out'?
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👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
'Saber' comes from the Latin verb *sapere*, which originally meant 'to taste' or 'to discern' (like tasting and judging). Over time, this evolved in Spanish to mean 'to know' or 'to have wisdom.' The irregular past tense forms like 'supo' developed due to ancient sound changes in Latin.
First recorded: Old Spanish
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 'supo' different from 'sabía'?
'Supo' (preterite) is used when the knowledge arrived at a specific point in the past—it means 'found out' or 'realized.' 'Sabía' (imperfect) is used when the person already possessed the knowledge over a period of time—it means 'already knew' or 'had the skill.'
Does 'supo' ever mean 'knew how to'?
Yes! When 'supo' is followed by another verb (like 'supo hablar'), it often means 'managed to' or 'succeeded in' doing something, emphasizing the successful completion of the action.