Je sais que je ne te connais pas. I know I don't know you.

Savoir vs. connaître in French

Savoir vs. Connaître both mean 'to know'. Check out the rules.

Translate into French

1. I don’t know how to cook.
2. I know the poem.
3. Do you (tu) know Jean Dujardin?
4. She doesn’t know what to do.
5. He doesn’t know when they’ll be done.
6. We (on) don’t know the store opening hours.
7. We (nous) don’t know where they live.
8. Do you (vous) know these people?
9. They (ils) would like to  know French culture.
10. They (elles) know how to sail but they don’t know this coast.

Translate into English

1. Je ne sais pas faire la cuisine.
2. Je connais le poème.
3. Tu connais Jean Dujardin ?
4. Elle ne sait pas quoi faire.
5. Il ne sait pas quand elles auront fini.
6. On ne connaît pas les horaires d’ouverture du magasin.
7. Nous ne savons où ils habitent.
8. Vous connaissez ces gens(-là) ?
9. Ils aimeraient connaître la culture française.
10. Elles savent faire de la voile, mais elles ne connaissent pas cette côte.

Related: Connaitre vs. Savoir - French rules . Connaître and Savoir - French conjugation . 'Je sais' poem by Gabin .

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2 comments to Savoir vs. Connaître – French Practice

• lissa gold

  28/03/2014 at 4:56 am

  Anne,
  Is it fair to say that connaître is followed by a noun or pronoun and savoir by an infinitive, a “que” clause, or a clause beginning with a “question” word? How would one say “Do you know the time?” Can you think of exceptions to the above rule?

  I would appreciate your answer so much. I found this rule on-line and want to make sure that it works!!

  • Anne

    28/03/2014 at 10:25 am

    SAVOIR is followed by a
    –VERB in the infinitive form
    Je sais parler français.
    –QUI-QUE-QUAND-OÙ-COMMENT-POURQUOI-QUEL-SI… clause
    Il sait qui va gagner.
    Nous ne savons pas comment il va venir.

    CONNAÎTRE is
    –followed by a noun phrase
    Je connais les chiens.
    –preceded by a pronoun
    Je les connais.
    –never followed by a QUI-QUE-QUAND-OÙ-COMMENT-POURQUOI-QUEL-SI… clause

    In English, you often ask “Do you know the time ?”. In French, you can translate it by: “Tu sais quelle heure il est ?” or “Quelle heure est-il ?”

    I can’t think of an exception to these rules.

    Merci Lissa. J’ai adoré votre question.