Mastering ‘Saber’: The Ultimate Guide to Spanish Conjugation

Understanding the Spanish verb saber (to know) is crucial for effective communication in Spanish. Unlike its counterpart conocer (to know, to be acquainted with), saber is used to express knowledge of facts, information, or how to do something. Mastering its conjugation is essential for constructing grammatically correct and meaningful sentences. This comprehensive guide provides a detailed exploration of saber conjugation, usage, common mistakes, and practice exercises to help you confidently use this essential verb.

This article is designed for Spanish learners of all levels, from beginners grappling with basic verb conjugations to advanced students seeking to refine their mastery of the language. Whether you are studying for an exam, preparing for a trip to a Spanish-speaking country, or simply aiming to improve your Spanish skills, this guide will equip you with the knowledge and practice you need to use saber effectively.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Definition of ‘Saber’
3. Structural Breakdown of ‘Saber’ Conjugation
4. Verb Tenses and Conjugations of ‘Saber’
   • Present Indicative
   • Preterite Indicative
   • Imperfect Indicative
   • Future Indicative
   • Conditional Indicative
   • Present Subjunctive
   • Imperfect Subjunctive
   • Future Subjunctive (Rarely Used)
   • Imperative Mood
   • Perfect Tenses (Compound Tenses)
5. Examples of ‘Saber’ in Sentences
6. Usage Rules for ‘Saber’
7. Common Mistakes with ‘Saber’
8. Practice Exercises
9. Advanced Topics: Nuances of ‘Saber’
10. Frequently Asked Questions
11. Conclusion

Definition of ‘Saber’

The Spanish verb saber primarily translates to “to know” in English. However, its usage is more specific than a general sense of knowing. It indicates knowledge of facts, information, skills, or how to do something. It is an irregular verb, meaning that its conjugation does not follow the standard patterns of regular Spanish verbs.

Saber is used to express:

• Factual knowledge: Knowing a piece of information or a specific fact. (e.g., Yo sé la capital de Francia. – I know the capital of France.)
• Skills or abilities: Knowing how to do something. (e.g., Ella sabe nadar muy bien. – She knows how to swim very well.)
• Awareness: Being aware of something. (e.g., No sabíamos que ibas a venir. – We didn’t know you were going to come.)

It is important to distinguish saber from conocer, which means “to know” in the sense of being acquainted with a person, place, or thing. Saber deals with information and skills, while conocer deals with familiarity and acquaintance.

Structural Breakdown of ‘Saber’ Conjugation

Understanding the structure of saber‘s conjugation involves recognizing its irregular forms and how they appear across different tenses. The irregularity is most prominent in the present tense “yo” form (sé) and in the preterite tense.

The verb stem changes in some tenses, and it’s essential to memorize these changes. The basic structure includes:

• Root: sab- (in most tenses)
• Irregular Forms: sé (present tense, yo), supe (preterite tense, yo), supiste (preterite tense, tú), etc.
• Endings: Standard verb endings for each tense, but attached to the modified root where applicable.

Let’s look at a few examples to illustrate these changes:

• Present Tense: Yo sé (I know), Tú sabes (You know), Él/Ella/Ud. sabe (He/She/You formal know)
• Preterite Tense: Yo supe (I knew), Tú supiste (You knew), Él/Ella/Ud. supo (He/She/You formal knew)

Notice how the root changes from “sab-” to “sup-” in the preterite tense. This kind of irregularity requires memorization and practice.

Verb Tenses and Conjugations of ‘Saber’

This section will detail the conjugation of saber across various tenses in the indicative and subjunctive moods, as well as the imperative mood. Understanding how to conjugate saber in different tenses is crucial for expressing knowledge and awareness in different time frames.

Present Indicative

The present indicative of saber is used to express current knowledge or abilities.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Sé	I know
Tú	Sabes	You know
Él/Ella/Ud.	Sabe	He/She/You (formal) know(s)
Nosotros/Nosotras	Sabemos	We know
Vosotros/Vosotras	Sabéis	You (plural, informal) know
Ellos/Ellas/Uds.	Saben	They/You (plural, formal) know

Examples:

• Yo sé hablar español. (I know how to speak Spanish.)
• Tú sabes la respuesta. (You know the answer.)
• Ella sabe dónde está el libro. (She knows where the book is.)
• Nosotros sabemos la verdad. (We know the truth.)
• Vosotros sabéis mucho sobre historia. (You know a lot about history.)
• Ellos saben que vamos a llegar tarde. (They know that we are going to be late.)

Preterite Indicative

The preterite indicative of saber expresses knowledge or awareness that was acquired at a specific point in the past. It often implies finding out or learning something.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Supe	I knew/found out
Tú	Supiste	You knew/found out
Él/Ella/Ud.	Supo	He/She/You (formal) knew/found out
Nosotros/Nosotras	Supimos	We knew/found out
Vosotros/Vosotras	Supisteis	You (plural, informal) knew/found out
Ellos/Ellas/Uds.	Supieron	They/You (plural, formal) knew/found out

Examples:

• Yo supe la noticia ayer. (I found out the news yesterday.)
• Tú supiste que ella se iba. (You knew that she was leaving.)
• Él supo la verdad al final. (He knew the truth in the end.)
• Nosotros supimos que ganamos el partido. (We knew that we won the game.)
• Vosotros supisteis la respuesta antes que yo. (You knew the answer before me.)
• Ellos supieron que había un problema. (They knew there was a problem.)

Imperfect Indicative

The imperfect indicative of saber describes knowledge or awareness that existed continuously or habitually in the past. It focuses on the state of knowing rather than the moment of finding out.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Sabía	I knew/used to know
Tú	Sabías	You knew/used to know
Él/Ella/Ud.	Sabía	He/She/You (formal) knew/used to know
Nosotros/Nosotras	Sabíamos	We knew/used to know
Vosotros/Vosotras	Sabíais	You (plural, informal) knew/used to know
Ellos/Ellas/Uds.	Sabían	They/You (plural, formal) knew/used to know

Examples:

• Yo sabía que ibas a venir. (I knew you were going to come.)
• Tú sabías la respuesta, ¿verdad? (You knew the answer, right?)
• Ella sabía hablar francés cuando era niña. (She knew how to speak French when she was a child.)
• Nosotros sabíamos que era peligroso. (We knew it was dangerous.)
• Vosotros sabíais la verdad todo el tiempo. (You knew the truth all the time.)
• Ellos sabían que estábamos allí. (They knew we were there.)

Future Indicative

The future indicative of saber expresses knowledge or awareness that will be acquired in the future.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Sabré	I will know
Tú	Sabrás	You will know
Él/Ella/Ud.	Sabrá	He/She/You (formal) will know
Nosotros/Nosotras	Sabremos	We will know
Vosotros/Vosotras	Sabréis	You (plural, informal) will know
Ellos/Ellas/Uds.	Sabrán	They/You (plural, formal) will know

Examples:

• Yo sabré la respuesta mañana. (I will know the answer tomorrow.)
• Tú sabrás cómo hacerlo después de la clase. (You will know how to do it after the class.)
• Él sabrá la verdad pronto. (He will know the truth soon.)
• Nosotros sabremos el resultado la semana que viene. (We will know the result next week.)
• Vosotros sabréis todo después de la reunión. (You will know everything after the meeting.)
• Ellos sabrán qué hacer. (They will know what to do.)

Conditional Indicative

The conditional indicative of saber expresses what someone would know or would be able to do under certain conditions.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Sabría	I would know
Tú	Sabrías	You would know
Él/Ella/Ud.	Sabría	He/She/You (formal) would know
Nosotros/Nosotras	Sabríamos	We would know
Vosotros/Vosotras	Sabríais	You (plural, informal) would know
Ellos/Ellas/Uds.	Sabrían	They/You (plural, formal) would know

Examples:

• Yo sabría la respuesta si hubiera estudiado. (I would know the answer if I had studied.)
• Tú sabrías cómo arreglarlo si fueras mecánico. (You would know how to fix it if you were a mechanic.)
• Él sabría qué hacer en esa situación. (He would know what to do in that situation.)
• Nosotros sabríamos la verdad si nos lo contaras. (We would know the truth if you told us.)
• Vosotros sabríais la ciudad si hubierais vivido aquí. (You would know the city if you had lived here.)
• Ellos sabrían dónde encontrarlo. (They would know where to find it.)

Present Subjunctive

The present subjunctive of saber is used to express doubt, uncertainty, wishes, or emotions regarding knowledge or awareness. It is often used in subordinate clauses after expressions of doubt or desire.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Sepa	I know (subjunctive)
Tú	Sepas	You know (subjunctive)
Él/Ella/Ud.	Sepa	He/She/You (formal) know(s) (subjunctive)
Nosotros/Nosotras	Sepamos	We know (subjunctive)
Vosotros/Vosotras	Sepáis	You (plural, informal) know (subjunctive)
Ellos/Ellas/Uds.	Sepan	They/You (plural, formal) know (subjunctive)

Examples:

• Es importante que yo sepa la verdad. (It’s important that I know the truth.)
• Dudo que tú sepas la respuesta correcta. (I doubt that you know the correct answer.)
• Espero que él sepa qué hacer. (I hope he knows what to do.)
• Es necesario que nosotros sepamos cómo resolver el problema. (It’s necessary that we know how to solve the problem.)
• No creo que vosotros sepáis la situación completa. (I don’t think you know the complete situation.)
• Es posible que ellos no sepan la verdad. (It’s possible that they don’t know the truth.)

Imperfect Subjunctive

The imperfect subjunctive of saber is used in past subjunctive clauses to express hypothetical or uncertain knowledge or awareness. There are two forms:

Form 1 (-ra):

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Supiera	I knew (subjunctive)
Tú	Supieras	You knew (subjunctive)
Él/Ella/Ud.	Supiera	He/She/You (formal) knew (subjunctive)
Nosotros/Nosotras	Supiéramos	We knew (subjunctive)
Vosotros/Vosotras	Supierais	You (plural, informal) knew (subjunctive)
Ellos/Ellas/Uds.	Supieran	They/You (plural, formal) knew (subjunctive)

Form 2 (-se):

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Supiese	I knew (subjunctive)
Tú	Supieses	You knew (subjunctive)
Él/Ella/Ud.	Supiese	He/She/You (formal) knew (subjunctive)
Nosotros/Nosotras	Supiésemos	We knew (subjunctive)
Vosotros/Vosotras	Supieseis	You (plural, informal) knew (subjunctive)
Ellos/Ellas/Uds.	Supiesen	They/You (plural, formal) knew (subjunctive)

Examples:

• Si yo supiera/supiese la respuesta, te lo diría. (If I knew the answer, I would tell you.)
• Dudaba que tú supieras/supieses la verdad. (I doubted that you knew the truth.)
• Quería que él supiera/supiese lo importante que era. (I wanted him to know how important it was.)
• Era necesario que nosotros supiéramos/supiésemos cómo hacerlo. (It was necessary that we knew how to do it.)
• No creía que vosotros supierais/supieseis la situación completa. (I didn’t believe you knew the complete situation.)
• Era posible que ellos no supieran/supiesen la verdad. (It was possible that they didn’t know the truth.)

Future Subjunctive (Rarely Used)

The future subjunctive of saber is rarely used in modern Spanish. It is mostly found in legal or formal contexts. For completeness, it is included here.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	Supiere	If I should know
Tú	Supieres	If you should know
Él/Ella/Ud.	Supiere	If he/she/you (formal) should know
Nosotros/Nosotras	Supiéremos	If we should know
Vosotros/Vosotras	Supiereis	If you (plural, informal) should know
Ellos/Ellas/Uds.	Supieren	If they/you (plural, formal) should know

Example:

• Si alguien supiere algo sobre el caso, que lo diga. (If anyone should know anything about the case, let them say it.)

Imperative Mood

The imperative mood is used to give commands or instructions. Saber doesn’t have a direct imperative form in the same way as other verbs, as it’s not typically used to command someone to “know” something. However, you can use related expressions or indirect commands.

Example (using the subjunctive for an indirect command):

• Que sepas la verdad. (Let you know the truth / Make sure you know the truth.)

Perfect Tenses (Compound Tenses)

Perfect tenses are formed using the auxiliary verb haber (to have) and the past participle of saber, which is sabido.

Tense	Formation	Example	English Translation
Present Perfect	He + sabido	Yo he sabido la verdad.	I have known the truth.
Past Perfect (Pluperfect)	Había + sabido	Yo había sabido la verdad antes.	I had known the truth before.
Future Perfect	Habré + sabido	Yo habré sabido la respuesta para mañana.	I will have known the answer by tomorrow.
Conditional Perfect	Habría + sabido	Yo habría sabido la respuesta si hubiera estudiado.	I would have known the answer if I had studied.
Present Perfect Subjunctive	Haya + sabido	Dudo que él haya sabido la verdad.	I doubt that he has known the truth.
Past Perfect Subjunctive	Hubiera/Hubiese + sabido	Si hubiera sabido la respuesta, te lo habría dicho.	If I had known the answer, I would have told you.

Examples of ‘Saber’ in Sentences

This section provides further examples of saber used in various contexts and tenses. The examples are designed to illustrate the nuances of its meaning and usage.

Spanish Sentence	English Translation	Tense	Context
Sé que estás cansado.	I know that you are tired.	Present Indicative	Expressing knowledge of someone’s state.
¿Sabes dónde está el banco?	Do you know where the bank is?	Present Indicative	Asking for information about a location.
No sé qué hacer.	I don’t know what to do.	Present Indicative	Expressing a lack of knowledge about an action.
Supimos la verdad ayer.	We found out the truth yesterday.	Preterite Indicative	Expressing the discovery of information in the past.
Ella supo que había ganado el premio.	She found out that she had won the prize.	Preterite Indicative	Expressing the moment of learning about a victory.
Sabía que ibas a llegar tarde.	I knew you were going to be late.	Imperfect Indicative	Expressing prior knowledge of an event.
Antes sabíamos como llegar allí.	We used to know how to get there.	Imperfect Indicative	Expressing a past ability or knowledge.
Sabré la respuesta mañana.	I will know the answer tomorrow.	Future Indicative	Expressing future knowledge.
Sabrás hablar español después del curso.	You will know how to speak Spanish after the course.	Future Indicative	Expressing future ability.
Sabría la respuesta si hubiera estudiado.	I would know the answer if I had studied.	Conditional Indicative	Expressing hypothetical knowledge.
Él sabría qué hacer en esa situación.	He would know what to do in that situation.	Conditional Indicative	Expressing hypothetical ability.
Es importante que sepas la verdad.	It is important that you know the truth.	Present Subjunctive	Expressing the importance of knowing something.
Dudo que sepas la respuesta.	I doubt that you know the answer.	Present Subjunctive	Expressing doubt about someone’s knowledge.
Si supiera la respuesta, te lo diría.	If I knew the answer, I would tell you.	Imperfect Subjunctive	Expressing a hypothetical situation in the past.
Quería que supieras lo importante que eres.	I wanted you to know how important you are.	Imperfect Subjunctive	Expressing a desire for someone to know something.
He sabido la verdad durante mucho tiempo.	I have known the truth for a long time.	Present Perfect	Expressing knowledge that started in the past and continues to the present.
Había sabido la noticia antes de que me la contaras.	I had known the news before you told me.	Past Perfect (Pluperfect)	Expressing knowledge prior to another past event.
Para mañana, habré sabido los resultados.	By tomorrow, I will have known the results.	Future Perfect	Expressing knowledge that will be acquired by a future time.
Habría sabido la respuesta si me lo hubieras preguntado.	I would have known the answer if you had asked me.	Conditional Perfect	Expressing hypothetical knowledge in the past.
No creo que hayan sabido el secreto.	I don’t believe they have known the secret.	Present Perfect Subjunctive	Expressing doubt about past knowledge.
Si hubiéramos sabido, te habríamos ayudado.	If we had known, we would have helped you.	Past Perfect Subjunctive	Expressing a hypothetical past situation with knowledge.
Sé valiente.	Be brave.	Imperative	Indirect imperative.

Usage Rules for ‘Saber’

Using saber correctly involves following specific rules to ensure clarity and accuracy. These rules cover the contexts in which saber is appropriate, as well as common constructions and exceptions.

1. Factual Information: Use saber to express knowledge of facts or information. For example: “Sé que Madrid es la capital de España.” (I know that Madrid is the capital of Spain.)
2. Skills and Abilities: Use saber to express knowing how to do something. This is often followed by an infinitive. For example: “Ella sabe nadar muy bien.” (She knows how to swim very well.)
3. Awareness: Use saber to indicate being aware of something. For example: “No sabíamos que ibas a venir.” (We didn’t know you were going to come.)
4. Questions: When asking if someone knows something, use saber. For example: “¿Sabes dónde está la estación?” (Do you know where the station is?)
5. Negative Statements: Use saber to express a lack of knowledge. For example: “No sé la respuesta.” (I don’t know the answer.)
6. Distinction from ‘Conocer’: Remember that saber is for facts, information, and skills, while conocer is for familiarity with people, places, and things.

Common Constructions:

• Saber + que + clause: Indicates knowing a fact or piece of information. Example: “Sé que estás ocupado.” (I know that you are busy.)
• Saber + infinitive: Indicates knowing how to do something. Example: “Sabe hablar francés.” (He knows how to speak French.)
• No saber qué: Indicates not knowing what to do. Example: “No sé qué hacer.” (I don’t know what to do.)
• Saber + cuándo/dónde/cómo/por qué: Indicates knowing when, where, how, or why something is. Example: “¿Sabes cuándo empieza la fiesta?” (Do you know when the party starts?)

Common Mistakes with ‘Saber’

Spanish learners often make mistakes with saber, particularly in differentiating it from conocer. This section highlights these common errors and provides corrections.

Incorrect	Correct	Explanation
Yo conozco la respuesta.	Yo sé la respuesta.	Conocer is for being acquainted with people, places, or things, not for knowing information.
Ella sabe a mi hermano.	Ella conoce a mi hermano.	Saber is not used for knowing people; conocer is the correct verb.
No sé Nueva York.	No conozco Nueva York.	Use conocer when referring to being familiar with a place.
¿Sabes a Juan?	¿Conoces a Juan?	Use conocer to ask if someone is acquainted with a person.
Yo sabo nadar.	Yo sé nadar.	“Sabo” is not a correct conjugation of “saber”. The correct form is “sé”.

Additional Common Mistakes:

• Incorrect Conjugation: Using the wrong form of saber in a particular tense. Always double-check the conjugation chart.
• Forgetting the Personal ‘a’: When conocer is followed by a person, the personal ‘a’ is required. This is not needed with saber.

Practice Exercises

Test your understanding of saber with these practice exercises. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of saber in the tense indicated.

Exercise 1: Present Indicative

1. Yo _______ la verdad. (I know the truth.)
2. ¿Tú _______ dónde está el baño? (Do you know where the bathroom is?)
3. Ella _______ hablar inglés. (She knows how to speak English.)
4. Nosotros _______ la respuesta. (We know the answer.)
5. Vosotros _______ mucho sobre historia. (You know a lot about history.)
6. Ellos _______ que vamos a llegar tarde. (They know that we are going to be late.)
7. ¿Ud. _______ la dirección? (Do you know the address?)
8. Yo no _______ nada de eso. (I don’t know anything about that.)
9. Mi hermana _______ cocinar muy bien. (My sister knows how to cook very well.)
10. Nosotros _______ que el examen es difícil. (We know that the exam is difficult.)

Exercise 2: Preterite Indicative

1. Yo _______ la noticia ayer. (I found out the news yesterday.)
2. Tú _______ que ella se iba. (You knew that she was leaving.)
3. Él _______ la verdad al final. (He knew the truth in the end.)
4. Nosotros _______ que ganamos el

   partido. (We knew that we won the game.)

5. Vosotros _______ la respuesta antes que yo. (You knew the answer before me.)
6. Ellos _______ que había un problema. (They knew there was a problem.)
7. ¿Quién _______ la verdad primero? (Who knew the truth first?)
8. Yo _______ que tú estabas aquí. (I knew that you were here.)
9. Ella _______ la respuesta correcta inmediatamente. (She knew the correct answer immediately.)
10. Nosotros no _______ nada hasta el final. (We didn’t know anything until the end.)

Exercise 3: Imperfect Indicative

1. Yo _______ que ibas a venir. (I knew you were going to come.)
2. Tú _______ la respuesta, ¿verdad? (You knew the answer, right?)
3. Ella _______ hablar francés cuando era niña. (She knew how to speak French when she was a child.)
4. Nosotros _______ que era peligroso. (We knew it was dangerous.)
5. Vosotros _______ la verdad todo el tiempo. (You knew the truth all the time.)
6. Ellos _______ que estábamos allí. (They knew we were there.)
7. ¿Ud. _______ la ciudad bien? (Did you know the city well?)
8. Antes yo no _______ nada de eso. (Before I didn’t know anything about that.)
9. Mi abuela _______ muchas historias. (My grandmother knew many stories.)
10. Nosotros _______ que iba a llover. (We knew that it was going to rain.)

Exercise 4: Future Indicative

1. Yo _______ la respuesta mañana. (I will know the answer tomorrow.)
2. Tú _______ cómo hacerlo después de la clase. (You will know how to do it after the class.)
3. Él _______ la verdad pronto. (He will know the truth soon.)
4. Nosotros _______ el resultado la semana que viene. (We will know the result next week.)
5. Vosotros _______ todo después de la reunión. (You will know everything after the meeting.)
6. Ellos _______ qué hacer. (They will know what to do.)
7. ¿Ud. _______ si va a venir? (Will you know if he is going to come?)
8. Yo _______ más después de leer el libro. (I will know more after reading the book.)
9. Ella _______ la respuesta después de investigar. (She will know the answer after researching.)
10. Nosotros _______ el camino después de estudiar el mapa. (We will know the way after studying the map.)

Exercise 5: Conditional Indicative

1. Yo _______ la respuesta si hubiera estudiado. (I would know the answer if I had studied.)
2. Tú _______ cómo arreglarlo si fueras mecánico. (You would know how to fix it if you were a mechanic.)
3. Él _______ qué hacer en esa situación. (He would know what to do in that situation.)
4. Nosotros _______ la verdad si nos lo contaras. (We would know the truth if you told us.)
5. Vosotros _______ la ciudad si hubierais vivido aquí. (You would know the city if you had lived here.)
6. Ellos _______ dónde encontrarlo. (They would know where to find it.)
7. ¿Ud. _______ la respuesta si yo le preguntara? (Would you know the answer if I asked you?)
8. Yo _______ qué hacer si estuviera en tu lugar. (I would know what to do if I were in your place.)
9. Ella _______ cómo resolver el problema si tuviera más información. (She would know how to solve the problem if she had more information.)
10. Nosotros _______ el camino si tuviéramos un mapa. (We would know the way if we had a map.)

Exercise 6: Present Subjunctive

1. Es importante que yo _______ la verdad. (It’s important that I know the truth.)
2. Dudo que tú _______ la respuesta correcta. (I doubt that you know the correct answer.)
3. Espero que él _______ qué hacer. (I hope he knows what to do.)
4. Es necesario que nosotros _______ cómo resolver el problema. (It’s necessary that we know how to solve the problem.)
5. No creo que vosotros _______ la situación completa. (I don’t think you know the complete situation.)
6. Es posible que ellos no _______ la verdad. (It’s possible that they don’t know the truth.)
7. Es esencial que Ud. _______ todos los detalles. (It’s essential that you know all the details.)
8. No quiero que yo _______ esto. (I don’t want that I know this.)
9. Ojalá que ella _______ la respuesta pronto. (Hopefully, she knows the answer soon.)
10. Es importante que nosotros _______ el camino correcto. (It’s important that we know the right way.)

Exercise 7: Imperfect Subjunctive

1. Si yo _______ la respuesta, te lo diría. (If I knew the answer, I would tell you.)
2. Dudaba que tú _______ la verdad. (I doubted that you knew the truth.)
3. Quería que él _______ lo importante que era. (I wanted him to know how important it was.)
4. Era necesario que nosotros _______ cómo hacerlo. (It was necessary that we knew how to do it.)
5. No creía que vosotros _______ la situación completa. (I didn’t believe you knew the complete situation.)
6. Era posible que ellos no _______ la verdad. (It was possible that they didn’t know the truth.)
7. Si Ud. _______ la respuesta, me la diría. (If you knew the answer, you would tell me.)
8. Yo quería que yo _______ la verdad antes. (I wanted that I knew the truth before.)
9. Ojalá que ella _______ cómo resolver el problema. (Hopefully, she knew how to solve the problem.)
10. Era importante que nosotros _______ el camino ayer. (It was important that we knew the way yesterday.)

Answers:

Exercise 1:

1. Sé
2. Sabes
3. Sabe
4. Sabemos
5. Sabéis
6. Saben
7. Sabe
8. Sé
9. Sabe
10. Sabemos

Exercise 2:

1. Supe
2. Supiste
3. Supo
4. Supimos
5. Supisteis
6. Supieron
7. Supo
8. Supe
9. Supo
10. Supimos

Exercise 3:

1. Sabía
2. Sabías
3. Sabía
4. Sabíamos
5. Sabíais
6. Sabían
7. Sabía
8. Sabía
9. Sabía
10. Sabíamos

Exercise 4:

1. Sabré
2. Sabrás
3. Sabrá
4. Sabremos
5. Sabréis
6. Sabrán
7. Sabrá
8. Sabré
9. Sabrá
10. Sabremos

Exercise 5:

1. Sabría
2. Sabrías
3. Sabría
4. Sabríamos
5. Sabríais
6. Sabrían
7. Sabría
8. Sabría
9. Sabría
10. Sabríamos

Exercise 6:

1. Sepa
2. Sepas
3. Sepa
4. Sepamos
5. Sepáis
6. Sepan
7. Sepa
8. Sepa
9. Sepa
10. Sepamos

Exercise 7:

1. Supiera / Supiese
2. Supieras / Supieses
3. Supiera / Supiese
4. Supiéramos / Supiésemos
5. Supierais / Supieseis
6. Supieran / Supiesen
7. Supiera / Supiese
8. Supiera / Supiese
9. Supiera / Supiese
10. Supiéramos / Supiésemos

Advanced Topics: Nuances of ‘Saber’

This section delves into some advanced nuances of saber, including idiomatic expressions and subtle differences in meaning that can enhance your fluency and comprehension.

• Saber a: This expression means “to taste like.” For example: “Esta sopa sabe a pollo.” (This soup tastes like chicken.)
• Saber de memoria: This means “to know by heart” or “to have memorized something.” For example: “Sé este poema de memoria.” (I know this poem by heart.)
• Hacer saber: This means “to inform” or “to let someone know.” For example: “Te haré saber los resultados.” (I will let you know the results.)
• A saber: This is used to introduce a list or to specify something. For example: “Hay varias razones, a saber: el tiempo, el costo y la distancia.” (There are several reasons, namely: the time, the cost, and the distance.)
• ¿Quién sabe?: This expression is equivalent to “Who knows?” or “Nobody knows.” For example: “¿Cuándo va a llegar? ¡Quién sabe!” (When is he going to arrive? Who knows!)

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Mastering the conjugation and usage of saber is a significant step toward fluency in Spanish. By understanding its specific meanings, following the usage rules, and practicing regularly, you can confidently and accurately express knowledge, awareness, and skills in a variety of contexts. Remember to distinguish saber from conocer and to pay attention to its irregular forms. With consistent effort and practice, you’ll be well on your way to mastering this essential Spanish verb.