“Saber” or “conocer”
CEFR A2 · part 1
edumaterial's parts within the level. The European framework does not subdivide them.
“Comí” or “comía”Choosing between the two past tenses: a finished action with “comí”, a background, a…“Por” or “para”Choosing between “por” and “para” for cause, purpose, destination, duration, exchange…“Lo”, “la”, “le” — and they go in frontReplacing an object with “lo”, “la”, “los”, “las”, “le” or “les”, and putting the…“Me duele la cabeza”, not “mi cabeza”Using the article instead of the possessive with parts of the body and clothes, because…“Voy a menudo”: where the adverb goesPlacing “siempre”, “nunca”, “ya”, “todavía”, “a menudo” and “casi” where Spanish puts…“Ser” or “estar”: two verbs for one “to be”Choosing between “ser” and “estar” in everyday sentences: who you are and what you are…The rule, in three lines
Saber takes facts, information and skills: sé la respuesta, sé que viene, sé nadar. Conocer takes people, places and works you have MET: conozco a Ana, conozco Madrid, conozco esa canción. And saber plus an infinitive is “know how to”.
The usual slip. Using one of them for everything: conozco que es tarde, sé Madrid.
Why it catches you out. English “know” does both jobs with one word, so nothing warns you that there is a choice. The shortcut: if what follows is a fact, a “que” or an infinitive, it is “saber”. If it is a person, a city or a book — something you have been introduced to — it is “conocer”.