All verbs

/savwaʁ/to knowA1

Family
Family 5 — boot verbs
Takes
a direct object — A direct object, a clause, or an infinitive for knowing how to

Build map — what to memorise

These three pieces are learnt; every other tense is built from them.

The nous form
savons
Presentprésentlearn it whole

Singular — the short stem

Presentprésentfollows the rule

Boot verb — ils takes the singular stem back

sav-+-ons -ez -ent

Imperfectimparfaitfollows the rule

sav-+-ais -ais -ait -ions -iez -aient

Present participleparticipe-présent1 exception(s)

sav-+-ant

  • sachantthe rule said savant
Subjunctivesubjonctif-présent6 exception(s)

Built on ils; nous and vous are the imparfait forms

sav-+-e -es -e -ent

  • je sachethe rule said save
  • tu sachesthe rule said saves
  • il sachethe rule said save
  • nous sachionsthe rule said savions
  • vous sachiezthe rule said saviez
  • ils sachentthe rule said savent
Infinitive
savoir
Simple futurefutur-simplestem changes

saur-+-ai -as -a -ons -ez -ont

Conditionalconditionnel-présentfollows the rule

Futur stem + imparfait endings

saur-+-ais -ais -ait -ions -iez -aient

Near futurefutur-prochefollows the rule

aller + infinitive

savoir

Past participle
su

Takes avoir

Passé composépassé-composéfollows the rule

avoir (present) + past participle

su

Pluperfectplus-que-parfaitfollows the rule

Auxiliary in the imparfait + past participle

su

Conjugation

présent
Ije sais/ʒə sɛ/I know
youtu sais/ty sɛ/you know
he/sheil sait/il sɛ/he knows
wenous savons/nu savɔ̃/we know
youvous savez/vu save/you know
theyils savent/il sav/they know

Examples

  • Je sais la réponse.

    /ʒə sɛ la ʁe.pɔ̃s/

    I know the answer.

  • Il sait où j'habite.

    /il sɛ u ʒa.bit/

    He knows where I live.

  • Est-ce que tu sais la réponse ?

    /ɛs kə ty sɛ la ʁe.pɔ̃s/

    Do you know the answer?

Set phrases

  • savoir faire

    to know how to

  • je ne sais pas

    I don't know

Notes

  • savoir is knowing a fact; connaître is being acquainted. Je sais où il habite but Je connais la ville. English hides this split behind one verb.

  • savoir + infinitive means to know HOW to: Je sais nager — I can swim, in the sense of having learnt. Je peux nager would mean you are able to right now.

  • In the passé composé it means "found out": J'ai su hier — I found out yesterday. See pc-vs-imparfait.