Savoir vs. Connaître ("to know" in French)
Video
Notes
- Savoir is used to say "to know" when related to what one can learn by studying, knowing in terms of knowledge.
We know that he is a kind man. > Nous savons qu'il est un homme gentil. - Savoir can also be used to describe the translation of an ability.
I know how to swim. > Je sais nager.
> Swimming is an ability, so you would use savoir. - Many times if to know is followed by a clause, a word like comment, que, qui, quand, où, you will use savoir.
Je sais quand le train départ. > I know when the train is leaving.
> When the train is leaving is a fact, a bit of knowledge, so one would use "savoir." - Connaître is used when speaking about familiarity.
- You can use connaître when expressing familiarity with a person, a thing, or a place.
I know Paul. > Je connais Paul.
They know the word. > Ils connaissent le mot. - Oftentime, with a knoledge of things, you can use either verb, but the meaning is different.
Savoir: to have a deep knowledge about a thing
Connaître: to have a surface-level knowledge of a thing.
I know my lesson:
Je sais ma leçon (because I learned it, and know it by heart)
Je connais ma leçon (because you read it before or you know what it is about, but it is only surface knowledge)
I know his poem:
Je sais son poème (because I learned it, I memorized it)
Je connais son poème (because you know that the author wrote this poem, you have heard of that before)
Activities
Savoir or Connaître? Self-Correcting Fill-in-the-blank
Directions:
Savoir or Connaître? Frappez!
Directions:
Trouver quelqu'un qui... (savoir et connaître)
Directions:
Directions:
- Students read the review explanation of savoir and connaître.
- Students fill in the blanks at the bottom, then check their answers.
- For additional rigor, have students correct the answers they get wrong and then find an explanation for why it was wrong.
- Internet access
- Assignment (link above)
Savoir or Connaître? Frappez!
Directions:
- Two students stand equidistant from the board; each student has a fly-swatter.
- Students are given a sentence missing the verb savoir or connaître, along with the conjugation of savoir and connaître below.
- The first student to choose the correct verb (savoir or connaître), wins!
- To go further, give a bonus point to one of the audience members who can explain the correct answer.
- Savoir ou connaître powerpoint
PDF
Editable Google Slides presentation - 2 fly-swatters
- a surface to project onto that can be hit
Trouver quelqu'un qui... (savoir et connaître)
Directions:
- Students are given the sheet of paper at the link below and given 5 minutes to figure out how to ask the questions needed to find the people who would help them to finish their table by fulfilling the requirement of each square.
Ex: Trouver quelqu'un qui sait/connaît le président du SGA.
Est-ce que tu connais le président du SGA? - Students will then walk around and interview their classmates, asking the questions that they came up with in the previous step to find at least one person who fulfills the requirements of each of the squares.
- Then, after finding somebody for as many squares as possible, students sit down and write the answers in full sentences.
Ex: Natalie connaît le président du SGA.
Additional Sites
Tex's French Grammar
An explanation of the uses of savoir and connaître along with their conjugations. Includes practice activity below explanation.
French.About
An explanation of the different uses of savoir and connaître.
French Spanish Online
An explanation of Savoir vs. Connaître which accompanies the second video below.
An explanation of the uses of savoir and connaître along with their conjugations. Includes practice activity below explanation.
French.About
An explanation of the different uses of savoir and connaître.
French Spanish Online
An explanation of Savoir vs. Connaître which accompanies the second video below.
Videos
This video, courtesy of Parapluie French, explains the two verbs and clarifies many points of confusion. Make sure to see the conjugations above.
This video, courtesy of FrenchSpanishOnline (Learning French with Pascal), explains the differences between the two verbs but has less emphasis on the possible points of confusion.