How to say “to Know” in Italian?
There are many differences and overlaps between the English “to know” and its Italian translation. While in English the verb “to know” belong to same conceptual group as “to can” and “to be able to“, in Italian the meaning is quite different.
For example, in English you can say “I know how to ski”, “I can ski”, or “I am able to ski” to express an ability, but you can also use the verb “can” to say that you are allowed to do something, as in “I can ski – because my parents gave me permission”. Finally, you can say “I know a person” or “I know a place” to express your knowledge about something.
In Italian there are two ways you can translate “to know”:
- Sapere: when referring to knowing a fact, information, or how to do something.
- Conoscere: when referring to being acquainted with or familiar with a person, place, or thing.
What is relevant and interesting about these two verbs, is that they change their contextual meaning depending on whether they are conjugated in the imperfetto o passato prossimo. In this article, I will guide you through their conjugations in these two verb tenses as well as the presente, of course.
Conoscere vs Sapere
Conoscere
Conoscere is a regular verb. It means “to know” in the sense of:
- Knowing, being acquainted with someone
- Meeting someone for the first time
- Knowing, being familiar with an area, town, restaurant, etc.
Luca conosce bene la zona.
Luca knows well the neighborhood.
Sapere
Sapere is an irregular verb. It means “to know” in the sense of:
- Knowing about a fact or a situation
- Being able to do something (in this context, it is used ad a modal verb with the structure sapere + infinitive)
Paola sa come risolvere questo problema.
Paola knows how to solve this problem.
To put it short, sapere is used to express knowledge, while conoscere is used to express familiarity. Also, notice that sapere cannot be used to refer to a person!
It is also important to know that while in English you can say “I know” to say you have knowledge about something, in Italian you have to express what you know. Therefore, you have to use the direct pronoun lo, resulting in “lo so!” (I know it).
And if you want to say that you don’t know something? You can say non lo so or more easily, just “boh“!
Conoscere vs Sapere: Imperfetto vs Passato Prossimo
In the table below, I want to show you how different verb tenses convey different meanings of the verbs sapere and conoscere.
| Verb tense | Imperfetto | Passato Prossimo |
|---|---|---|
| Sapere |
Sapevo la risposta. I knew the answer. Used to indicate that the speaker had continuous or habitual knowledge of a fact in the past. |
Ho saputo la notizia ieri. I found out the news yesterday. Indicates that the speaker came to know a piece of information at a specific point in the past. |
| Conoscere |
Conoscevo Maria. I knew Maria. Used to express a past state of being acquainted or familiar with someone. |
Ho conosciuto Maria un anno fa. I met Maria a year ago. Refers to the specific event or point in time when the speaker first became acquainted with someone. |
Linguistic and Cultural Perspectives
What I find fascinating as a linguist is that this distinction between the single English form and the pair of Italian verbs can be seen as a linguistic reflection of the value placed on different types of relationships and knowledge.
In cultures with languages that distinguish between knowing a fact and knowing through experience, there may be a greater emphasis on the quality and depth of personal interactions and experiences.
In English, the verb “to know” covers both types of knowledge, which can sometimes make it necessary to add more context or different words to specify the type of knowledge you are referring to.
This can probably be explained in terms of language evolution: the existence of two distinct verbs in Italian for “to know” highlights how language evolves to meet the communicative needs of its speakers, allowing for precision and clarity in conveying different aspects of cognition and familiarity.
If you found this topic particularly interesting as I did, then I advice you read something more about the history of the Italian language!
Conoscere and Sapere: Conjugations
Sapere
| Person / Tense | Presente | Imperfetto | Passato Prossimo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Io | so | sapevo | ho saputo |
| Tu | sai | sapevi | hai saputo |
| Lui/Lei | sa | sapeva | ha saputo |
| Noi | sappiamo | sapevamo | abbiamo saputo |
| Voi | sapete | sapevate | avete saputo |
| Loro | sanno | sapevano | hanno saputo |
Conoscere
| Person / Tense | Presente | Imperfetto | Passato Prossimo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Io | conosco | conoscevo | ho conosciuto |
| Tu | conosci | conoscevi | hai conosciuto |
| Lui/Lei | conosce | conosceva | ha conosciuto |
| Noi | conosciamo | conoscevamo | abbiamo conosciuto |
| Voi | conoscete | conoscevate | avete conosciuto |
| Loro | conoscono | conoscevano | hanno conosciuto |
Examples
Let’s look at some sentences to see when it’s suitable to use the verb sapere:
Mi scusi, sa dov’è la fermata dell’autobus?
Excuse me, do you know where the bus stop is? (Formal)
Sapevi che Luisa e Mattia sono sposati?
Did you know that Luisa and Mattia are married?
Ho saputo che ti sposi!
I was informed that you’ll get married!
Lorenzo sa nuotare.
Lorenzo can swim.
Let’s look at some sentences to see when it’s suitable to use the verb conoscere:
Conosci Marcella, è la mia vicina di casa!
I know Marcella, she is my neighbor.
Finalmente ho conosciuto tua sorella!
I finally met your sister!
Filippo conosce i migliori ristoranti della città!
Filippo knows the best restaurants in town!
Non conosco ristoranti di pesce in questo posto.
I’m not familiar with fish restaurants in this area.
Lo Sapevi?
Did you know it?
The verbs conoscere and sapere can both be translated with the English verb “to know” but they mean different things, especially depending on the verb tense they are conjugated in!
Sapere is primarily used to denote knowledge of facts or skills, while conoscere relates to personal acquaintance, familiarity, and personal experiences.
Knowing the difference between conoscere and sapere is essential to master Italian and become fluent. Not only does this distinction reflect the grammatical richness of the language, but it also provides insights into the value that is given on the two types of knowledge, factual and experiential.
For me, mastering these verbs means learning how to articulate detailed and meaningful narratives about your knowledge and your relationships. Embrace the subtleties of these two verbs and get ready to authentically connect with the Italian language and its speakers.
