Inklingo

How to Say "we knew" in Spanish

The Spanish word forwe knewis sabíamosA1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA1
VerbA1
past state of knowing a fact
Two friends standing together, looking down at a simple rolled-out parchment map marked with an X. Both characters have knowing expressions, indicating shared information.

Examples

Sabíamos que el tren llegaba tarde.

We knew that the train was arriving late.

¿Por qué no nos dijiste? ¡Sabíamos que algo andaba mal!

Why didn't you tell us? We knew something was wrong!

En ese momento, solo sabíamos la mitad de la historia.

At that moment, we only knew half the story.

The 'We' Form

This word is the 'nosotros' (we) form of the verb 'saber'.

Imperfect Tense for States

The imperfect tense (sabíamos) describes a continuous or habitual state in the past—the fact that 'we knew' was ongoing.

Saber vs. Conocer

Mistake:Using 'conocíamos' for facts: 'Conocíamos que era tarde.'

Correction: Use 'sabíamos' for facts, information, or things you can say out loud: 'Sabíamos que era tarde.' ('Conocer' is for people, places, or being familiar with something.)

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.