How to Say "would know" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “would know” is “supiera” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Si yo supiera la respuesta, te la diría.
If I knew the answer, I would tell you.
Esperaba que ella supiera la verdad.
I hoped that she knew the truth.
No había nadie que supiera manejar ese sistema antiguo.
There was no one who knew how to operate that old system.
The Imperfect Subjunctive Mood
This form ('supiera') is used to express wishes, feelings, or doubts about a past event, or to set up hypothetical 'if' statements about the present or future.
The 'If...Then' Structure
When talking about unreal or hypothetical situations, you use 'si' (if) plus the Imperfect Subjunctive ('supiera'), followed by the Conditional tense ('diría').
Confusing 'saber' and 'conocer'
Mistake: “Using 'saber' when talking about knowing a person or place (e.g., 'Si supiera a Juan...').”
Correction: Use 'conociera' for people and places: 'Si conociera a Juan...' ('If I knew Juan...'). Use 'supiera' for facts or skills: 'Si supiera la dirección...' ('If I knew the address...').
Using the Indicative for Hypotheticals
Mistake: “Saying 'Si yo sé la respuesta, te la diría.'”
Correction: The structure requires the special Subjunctive form for the 'if' part: 'Si yo supiera la respuesta, te la diría.' (If I knew, I would tell you.)
Related Translations
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