A2 · Can, must, want
To know: sapere or conoscere
Two verbs for « know » — and two for « can ».
At a glance
- Remember
- People and places with conoscere, facts and clauses with sapere.
- Form
- (io) soI know
- Signal words
- so
- sai
- sa
- conosco
- conosci
- Trap
- Wrong:Conosco dove abita.Right:So dove abita.
Your turn
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The form
How the forms are built
Each row gives the meaning first, then the form in Italian. The colours show what changes from one form to the next.
stem (regular) stem (irregular) tense marker person ending auxiliary verb
| I know | (io) so |
| you know | (tu) sai |
| he / she knows, you know (formal) | (lui / lei / Lei) sa |
| we know | (noi) sappiamo |
| you know (plural) | (voi) sapete |
| they know | (loro) sanno |
| I can swim | so nuotare |
| I know (a person, a place) | (io) conosco |
| you know (a person) | (tu) conosci |
| he / she knows (a person), you know (formal) | (lui / lei / Lei) conosce |
| we know (a person) | (noi) conosciamo |
| you know (plural, a person) | (voi) conoscete |
| they know (a person) | (loro) conoscono |
| I met | (io) ho conosciuto |
| you met | (tu) hai conosciuto |
| he / she met, you met (formal) | (lui / lei / Lei) ha conosciuto |
| we met | (noi) abbiamo conosciuto |
| you met (plural) | (voi) avete conosciuto |
| they met | (loro) hanno conosciuto |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
conoscere stands before people, places and works, sapere before clauses, infinitives and facts.
Conosco Roma, ma non so dov’è la stazione.I know Rome, but I do not know where the station is.
Before an infinitive sapere means « having learnt how ».
Sa guidare da un anno.She has been able to drive for a year.
potere asks about the opportunity, sapere about the skill.
So nuotare, ma oggi non posso.I can swim, but today I cannot.
ho saputo means « I found out ».
L’ho saputo solo ieri sera.I only found out yesterday evening.
Example sentences
Sai dove abitano?Do you know where they live?
Conosco questo ristorante, è molto buono.I know this restaurant, it is very good.
Mio fratello sa suonare il pianoforte.My brother can play the piano.
Non sappiamo ancora cosa rispondere.We do not know yet what to answer.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English decides between « know » and « know how to » by what follows, and Italian decides between two different verbs by a similar test — but the line falls elsewhere. Before a clause or a question it is always sapere, even where English would happily say « know »; conoscere cannot introduce a clause at all. Before a noun the thing decides: a fact takes sapere — « Do you know his address? » is Sai il suo indirizzo? —, a person, a place or a work takes conoscere: Conosci Marco?
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
sapere: so, sai, sa, sappiamo, sapete, sanno. It stands before a clause, before a question, before an infinitive — and before a noun that is a fact: so la risposta, sai il suo indirizzo?
conoscere: conosco, conosci, conosce, conosciamo, conoscete, conoscono. It stands only before a noun — a person, a place, a piece of work.
Before an infinitive sapere means « can » in the sense of having learnt how: So nuotare. Posso nuotare is something else — the opportunity, not the ability. English has one word for both and cannot tell you which is meant.
In the past the two move further apart: ho saputo is « I found out » and ho conosciuto is « I met ». The lasting state goes in the imperfetto: sapevo, conoscevo.
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The verbs on this page, in every form: sapere · essere · conoscere · avere · potere · rispondere · suonare · abitare