Presente
Present
What happens now or regularly: hablo español, trabajo en un banco.
Spanish verb conjugation
Conjugation of saber
Saber — “to know; can”. Every tense with audio: tap a form to hear it, or the speaker to hear the whole tense.
- Translation
- to know; can
- Group
- irregular verb
- Participio
- sabido
- Present perfect with haber
- yo he sabido
Saber in every tense
Él / ella / usted and ellos / ellas / ustedes share their forms. Spanish usually drops the subject pronoun.
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Pretérito indefinido
Preterite
A completed action in a past cut off from now: ayer, el año pasado — Ayer hablé con Ana.
Pretérito imperfecto
Imperfect
Description, habit or background in the past: De niño vivía en Odesa y jugaba al fútbol.
Pretérito perfecto
Present perfect
An action in an unfinished period, or experience: Hoy he trabajado mucho. ¿Has estado en España?
Pluscuamperfecto
Pluperfect
What happened before another past action: Cuando llegué, ya habían cenado.
Futuro simple
Future
What will happen: Mañana lloverá. In speech, ir a + infinitive is common: Voy a llamar.
Condicional simple
Conditional
Polite requests and hypotheticals: ¿Podría ayudarme? Yo en tu lugar no iría.
Subjuntivo presente
Present subjunctive
After expressions of wishes, doubt, feelings and advice: Quiero que vengas. Ojalá haga sol.
Imperativo afirmativo
Imperative
Requests, advice, orders: ¡Habla más alto! ¡Venid aquí!
What to know
Yo sé, preterite supe, future sabré, subjunctive sepa. Saber is to know a fact and to know how: sé nadar; to know a person or place is conocer.
Examples
- No lo sé.I don’t know.
- ¿Sabes nadar?Can you swim?
- Lo supe ayer.I found out yesterday.
Practice
A person and a tense — choose the right form of saber. 10 questions.
Choose the form
FAQ
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How is saber conjugated in the present?
yo sé, tú sabes, él/ella/Ud. sabe, nosotros sabemos, vosotros sabéis, ellos/ellas/Uds. saben.
What is saber in the preterite (indefinido)?
yo supe, tú supiste, él/ella/Ud. supo, nosotros supimos, vosotros supisteis, ellos/ellas/Uds. supieron.
How is the present perfect of saber formed?
Haber in the present + the participle: yo he sabido, tú has sabido, él/ella/Ud. ha sabido, nosotros hemos sabido, vosotros habéis sabido, ellos/ellas/Uds. han sabido.
What is saber in the future?
yo sabré, tú sabrás, él/ella/Ud. sabrá, nosotros sabremos, vosotros sabréis, ellos/ellas/Uds. sabrán.
What’s next
Spanish irregular verbs
The present, preterite and participle of irregular verbs in one table — with search and a trainer.
See the table50 most common Spanish words
The 50 most common Spanish words with audio, examples and exercises.
See the wordsSpanish level test
Grammar, vocabulary and reading from A1 to C1 — and your Spanish level.
Take the test
Grammar for this topic
Rules in plain words — with tables, examples and a quiz in every topic.
The present tense (presente)
Hablo, como, vivo — the endings of the three conjugations, pienso and puedo, tengo and conozco.
Level A1Pretérito indefinido: hablé, comí
Ayer hablé con Ana, el año pasado fui a Madrid — completed actions in the past.
Level A2Pretérito imperfecto: hablaba, comía
De niño vivía en Odesa y jugaba al fútbol — habits, descriptions and background in the past.
Level A2The present subjunctive: quiero que vengas
Quiero que vengas, ojalá llueva, cuando llegues: forming the subjunctive and when you need it.
Level B1
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