savoir

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Contents

[edit] French

[edit] Etymology

From Old French savoir, saveir from Latin sapere "to taste", and "to know" in Late Latin, by influence of the adjective sapiens, "wise".

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Verb

savoir

  1. to know (something), in general
    Il est difficile de savoir si elle ment.
    It's difficult to know if she's lying
    Difficile à savoir (expression. alone. Like Difficile à dire, voir, faire)
  2. can, to know how to
    Vous savez nager?
    Can you swim?
  3. (Belgium), to be able to (compare with pouvoir)
    Je ne sais pas dormir. - I am not able to sleep. to a Belgian, I do not know how to sleep. to a Frenchman.
    Je ne peux pas dormir. - I am not allowed to sleep. to a Belgian, I am not able to sleep. to a Frenchman.

[edit] Usage notes

Use connaître if you want to say you know someone

[edit] Synonyms

[edit] Related terms

[edit] Conjugation

   Conjugation of savoir (see also Appendix:French verbs)
simple compound
infinitive savoir avoir su
gerund en sachant Use the gerund of avoir followed by the past participle
present participle sachant
past participle su
person singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative je (j’) tu il nous vous ils
simple
tenses		 present sais sais sait savons savez savent
imperfect savais savais savait savions saviez savaient
past historic sus sus sut sûmes sûtes surent
future saurai sauras saura saurons saurez sauront
conditional saurais saurais saurait saurions sauriez sauraient
compound
tenses		 present perfect Use the present tense of avoir followed by the past participle
pluperfect Use the imperfect tense of avoir followed by the past participle
past anterior Use the past historic tense of avoir followed by the past participle
future perfect Use the future tense of avoir followed by the past participle
conditional perfect Use the conditional tense of avoir followed by the past participle
subjunctive que je (j’) que tu qu’il que nous que vous qu’ils
simple
tenses		 present sache saches sache sachions sachiez sachent
imperfect susse susses sût sussions sussiez sussent
compound
tenses		 past Use the present subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle
pluperfect Use the imperfect subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
— sache — sachons sachez —

[edit] Anagrams

[edit] Old French

[edit] Alternative forms

[edit] Etymology

Latin sapiō "to taste", later "to know".

[edit] Verb

savoir

  1. to know

[edit] Descendants

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