How to Say "you know" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “you know” is “sabes” — use 'sabes' when asking someone informally (tú) if they possess a piece of information or are aware of a fact..
sabes
/SA-bess//ˈsa.βes/
Examples
¿Sabes dónde vive María?
Do you know where Maria lives?
¿Sabes qué hora es?
Do you know what time it is?
Tú sabes la respuesta.
You know the answer.
No sabes cuánto me alegro de verte.
You don't know how happy I am to see you.
Saber vs. Conocer
Use 'saber' (like 'sabes') for facts and information. Use 'conocer' when you're talking about being familiar with a person, place, or thing. Think: 'saber' for 'what', 'conocer' for 'who' or 'where'.
Knowing People
Mistake: “¿Sabes a mi amigo Juan?”
Correction: To ask if someone knows a person, use 'conocer'. The right way is: '¿Conoces a mi amigo Juan?'
saben
/SAH-ben//ˈsa.βen/
Examples
¿Saben ustedes cuándo empieza la película?
Do you (plural) know when the movie starts?
¿Saben dónde está el baño?
Do they know where the bathroom is?
Mis padres no saben que tengo un tatuaje.
My parents don't know that I have a tattoo.
Ustedes saben la respuesta correcta.
You (all) know the correct answer.
Saber vs. Conocer: The Big Difference
Use 'saber' for facts, information, and skills (things you know with your brain). Use 'conocer' when you're talking about being familiar with a person, place, or thing. Think: Saben la capital de Francia. (They know the capital of France - a fact). Conocen Francia. (They know/are familiar with France - a place).
Using 'Saber' for People
Mistake: “Ellos saben a mi hermano.”
Correction: Ellos conocen a mi hermano. (They know my brother.) Use 'conocer' when you mean 'to be acquainted with' a person.
conoce
/ko-NO-se//koˈno.se/
Examples
¿Usted conoce a mi profesor?
Do you (formal) know my professor?
Mi hermana conoce a tu primo.
My sister knows your cousin.
Él conoce muy bien la ciudad de México.
He knows Mexico City very well.
Usted conoce el camino, ¿verdad?
You know the way, right? (formal)
What kind of 'knowing' is this?
Use 'conoce' when talking about being familiar with people, places, or things. Think of it as being 'acquainted with' someone or something.
The Personal 'a'
When the person someone knows is receiving the action, you must put the little word 'a' right before them. Example: 'Ella conoce a Juan.' (She knows Juan).
'Conoce' vs. 'Sabe'
Mistake: “Using 'conoce' for facts, like: 'Él conoce que la capital es Madrid.'”
Correction: Use 'sabe' for facts and information: 'Él sabe que la capital es Madrid.' 'Conoce' is for familiarity with people and places.
sabéis
/sah-BEH-ees//saˈβeis/
Examples
¿Sabéis la respuesta?
Do you (plural, informal, Spain) know the answer?
¿Sabéis dónde está la plaza?
Do you all know where the square is?
No sabéis nadar muy bien, ¿verdad?
You (all) don't know how to swim very well, right?
Vosotros sabéis que esto es un secreto.
You all know that this is a secret.
Vosotros Usage
The form 'sabéis' is only used with 'vosotros' (plural informal 'you'), which is standard across most of Spain. In Latin America, people use 'ustedes saben' for both formal and informal groups.
Saber vs. Conocer
'Sabéis' (from saber) is for knowing facts, information, or skills ('how to do something'). Use 'conocéis' (from conocer) for knowing people, places, or being familiar with something.
Mixing up the 'You' Plurals
Mistake: “Using 'ustedes saben' when speaking informally to a group in Madrid.”
Correction: In Spain, use 'sabéis' for informal groups of friends or family. 'Ustedes saben' is used for formal groups or universally in Latin America.
conozcas
/koh-NOHZ-kas//koˈnoθkas/
Examples
Espero que conozcas a mi amigo Juan.
I hope that you meet my friend Juan.
Espero que conozcas a gente nueva en la fiesta.
I hope that you meet new people at the party.
Dudo que conozcas la respuesta correcta.
I doubt that you know the correct answer.
Necesito que tú conozcas bien el camino antes de ir.
I need you to know the route well before going.
The Subjunctive Signal
This form, 'conozcas', is the special verb ending Spanish uses when the sentence expresses wishes, doubts, emotions, or uncertainty directed at 'you' (tú). You usually need another word like 'que' (that) and a different subject to trigger it.
Irregular 'Z' Stem
The 'conozc-' sound comes from the irregular 'yo' form of the present tense ('yo conozco'). This 'z' is required in all forms of the present subjunctive to keep the hard 'c' sound.
Using the wrong form after 'I doubt'
Mistake: “Dudo que tú conoces la verdad.”
Correction: Dudo que tú conozcas la verdad. (When you express doubt, Spanish requires the special verb form, not the normal present tense.)
Sabes vs. Conoce: Fact vs. Familiarity
Related Translations
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