Conjugating SAVOIR

8 min read

8 min read

The verb SAVOIR usually means to know and it has irregular forms but it is at least conjugated with avoir in its past tense forms so that makes it easier to learn.  There are, though, two verbs which mean ‘to know’, the other one being connaître. Don’t confuse them: SAVOIR means to know facts, how to do something, and being aware of something, whereas connaître means to know a person (or a place). If you’ve studied Spanish, the rule is similar to ‘saber’ and ‘conocer’.

In this article, you’re going to learn about some of the more common uses of VOIR, and there is a short quiz at the end to help you remember some of the key parts and uses of the verb. The bonus MP3 audio files will help you develop your listening and pronunciation skills, and the verb drills will help you memorise the conjugation tables more easily.

The audio is included in the fully-packed French Learning Package which you can access for free when you sign up to join our mailing list.

Uses of SAVOIR

SAVOIR is another irregular verb, meaning it doesn’t follow a recognised pattern when you conjugate it. Make sure you look out for the irregularities in the different tenses and moods but see if you can start to see similarities in the structure of different tenses.

SAVOIR is used in three particular ways.

1. 1SAVOIR means ‘to know’ in the sense of something you have learned or found out. Example: Je sais danser (I know how to dance) and Il sait mon adresse (He knows my address).
2. 2It can be used in the passé composé to express that you have found something out. Example: Ah oui, je l’ai su hier (Oh yes, I found that out yesterday).
3. 3In the conditionnel, it is used to express a sense of ‘could’ or ‘would’ and being able to do something. Example: Je saurais cacher mon colère.  (I would be able to hide my anger).

Conjugation of SAVOIR

Once again, this is an irregular verb and doesn’t follow any of the regular patterns. Keep repeating the verb and listening to the audio, though, and you’ll learn it in no time, but remember that often, different spellings can sound the same in French, so it’s important you secure the spellings as well as the sounds of the words.

Let’s review the conjugation of SAVOIR in the indicative mood.

How to conjugate SAVOIR in the present tense (Présent)

In English, there are two present tenses – the Present Simple and the Present Continuous. In French, there’s only one tense – Le Présent. French is easy, right?

This particular verb is rarely found in the present continuous – ‘I am knowing’ just doesn’t sound right, does it? – so you only have the present simple meaning in the table below.

• Je saisI know
• Tu saisYou know
• Il / elle saitHe / she knows
• Nous savonsWe know
• Vous savezYou know
• Ils / elles saventThey know

How to conjugate SAVOIR in the Imparfait

The imperfect is used to create a sense of something that continued happening in the past. In English we would say ‘I was doing something’ or that ‘I used to do it’.

However, with SAVOIR, that sense of continuation is understood without the word ‘was’ being used.

Before deciding which tense to use (imparfait or passé composé), consider the frequency and how far back in time the events or facts happened.

• Je savaisI knew
• Tu savaisYou knew
• Il / elle savaitHe / she knew
• Nous savionsWe knew
• Vous saviezYou knew
• Ils / elles savaientThey knew

How to conjugate SAVOIR in the Futur

• Je sauraiI will know
• Tu saurasYou will know
• Il / elle sauraHe / she will know
• Nous sauronsWe will know
• Vous saurezYou will know
• Ils / elles saurontThey will know

How to conjugate SAVOIR in the Passé Composé

• J’ai suI knew
• Tu as suYou knew
• Il / elle a suHe / she knew
• Nous avons suWe knew
• Vous avez suYou knew
• Ils / elles ont suThey knew

Think carefully, when using this tense or the imparfait, about whether the ‘knowing’ continued in the past or was short-lived, so that you know which tense to use.

How to conjugate SAVOIR in the Passé Simple

• Je susI knew
• Tu susYou knew
• Il / elle sutHe / she knew
• Nous sûmesWe knew
• Vous sûtesYou knew
• Ils / elles surentThey knew

How to conjugate SAVOIR in the Plus-que-Parfait

• J’avais suI had known
• Tu avais suYou had know
• Il / elle avait suHe / she had known
• Nous avions suWe had known
• Vous aviez suYou had known
• Ils / elles avaient suThey had known

How to conjugate SAVOIR in the Passé Antérieur

• J’eus suI had known
• Tu eus suYou had known
• Il / elle eut suHe / she had known
• Nous eûmes suWe had known
• Vous eûtes suYou had known
• Ils / elles eurent suThey had known

How to conjugate SAVOIR in the Futur Antérieur

• J’aurai suI will have known
• Tu auras suYou will have known
• Il / elle aura suHe / she will have known
• Nous aurons suWe will have known
• Vous aurez suYou will have known
• Ils auront suThey will have known

How to conjugate SAVOIR in the Subjunctive mood (Subjonctif)

Présent

• que je sachethat I know
• que tu sachesthat you know
• qu’il / elle sachethat he / she know
• que nous sachionsthat we know
• que vous sachiezthat you know
• qu’ils / elles sachentthat they know

Imparfait

• que je sussethat I was knowing
• que tu sussesthat you were knowing
• qu’il / elle sûtthat he / she was knowing
• que nous sussionsthat we were knowing
• que vous sussiezthat you were knowing
• qu’ils / elles sussentthat they were knowing

Passé

• que j’aie suthat I knew
• que tu aies suthat you knew
• qu’il / elle ait suthat he / she knew
• que nous ayons suthat we knew
• que vous ayez suthat you knew
• qu’ils / elles aient suthat they knew

Plus-que-Parfait

• que j’eusse suthat I had known
• que tu eusses suthat you had known
• qu’il / elle eût suthat he / she had known
• que nous eussions suthat we had known
• que vous eussiez suthat you had known
• qu’ils / elles eussent suthat they had known

How to conjugate SAVOIR in the Conditional Mood (Conditionnel)

Présent

• Je sauraisI would know
• Tu sauraisYou would know
• Il / elle sauraitHe / she would know
• Nous saurionsWe would know
• Vous sauriezYou would know
• Ils / elles sauraientThey would know

Passé

• J’aurais suI would have known
• Tu aurais suYou would have known
• Il / elle aurait suHe / she would have known
• Nous aurions suWe would have known
• Vous auriez suYou would have known
• Ils / elles auraient suThey would have known

Participe

• Présentsachant
• Passésu
• Passé Composéayant su

How to conjugate SAVOIR in the Imperative Mood (Impératif)

How to conjugate SAVOIR in the Infinitive Mood (Infinitif)

Quick Exercise – fill in the blanks

1. Il _____ conduire.

2. Elles _______ qu’elles on tort.

3. _______ – vous l’heure?.

4. Je ne _________ t’aider.

5. Elle est d’accord? A _______!

6. Il m’a parlé sans le _________.

7. Sans doute, tu as le ______ – faire.

8. La cuisine française, tu en ______ quelque chose.

9. Il faut que tu ______ la vérité.

10. Je ______ que nous serions de bons amis.

Conclusion

SAVOIR is another useful but irregular verb to learn. It’s important that you know what it is you know so as not to mix it up with connaître. You might by now be starting to recognise the different patterns that the different tenses bring, and that usually only parts of each form will actually change. Understand the pattern and then think about how the verb you’re learning modifies what you know.

So how will you go about learning them? If you thought learning verbs meant learning by rote and chanting your way through them, you’re mistaken. You can easily and naturally get them set in your memory if you use the audio drills every day.