Saber Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

saber — to know — is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Saber means to know a fact, to know how to do something, and to know information: sé la respuesta, sé nadar, ¿sabes qué hora es? It is different from conocer, which is for people and places. Its present is sé, its preterite supe, its future stem sabr-, its subjunctive sepa. On this page you will find saber in real sentences, grouped by meaning and tense, two short texts that show it in context, the mistakes learners actually make with it, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then test yourself.

Example sentences with saber

In the present tense

  • “Yo sé la respuesta correcta.” — “I know the correct answer.”
  • “Ella sabe hablar francés.” — “She knows how to speak French.”
  • “Nosotros sabemos dónde está la estación.” — “We know where the station is.”
  • “Ellos saben mucho de historia.” — “They know a lot about history.”
  • “¿Tú sabes qué hora es?” — “Do you know what time it is?”
  • “Vosotros sabéis la verdad.” — “You know the truth.”

In the preterite

  • “Ayer yo supe la noticia por la radio.” — “Yesterday I found out the news on the radio.”
  • “Ella supo el resultado por la mañana.” — “She found out the result in the morning.”
  • “Nosotros supimos que el vuelo se retrasaba.” — “We found out the flight was delayed.”
  • “Ellos supieron la verdad al final.” — “They found out the truth in the end.”
  • “¿Tú supiste algo del examen?” — “Did you find out anything about the exam?”
  • “El director supo lo del accidente ayer.” — “The director found out about the accident yesterday.”

In other tenses

The same verb in the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect — the four tenses that complete the picture. All forms come from the verified tables.

  • “De niño, yo sabía la respuesta en clase.” — “As a child, I used to know the answer in class.”
  • “Mañana, yo sabré la respuesta en clase.” — “Tomorrow, I will know the answer in class.”
  • “Si pudiera, yo sabría la respuesta en clase.” — “If I could, I would know the answer in class.”
  • “Yo he sabido la respuesta en clase.” — “I have known the answer in class.”

Saber in context

Cada día, yo sé la respuesta en clase. Mi amigo también sabe la respuesta en clase cuando tiene tiempo. Después, yo sé la respuesta de nuevo por la tarde. Es una parte normal de mi rutina, y por eso el presente de saber es la primera forma que conviene aprender.

Ayer, yo supe la respuesta en clase. Mi amigo supo la respuesta en clase también, y por la noche yo supe la respuesta otra vez. Fue un día normal, pero es justo en días así cuando el pretérito de saber aparece una y otra vez: una acción terminada, un momento concreto, y la historia sigue.

Common mistakes with saber

Mistake 1

Wrong: Yo sabo la respuesta.

Right: Yo sé la respuesta.

The yo form is sé, with an accent — never sabo.

Mistake 2

Wrong: Yo conozco la respuesta — wrong verb.

Right: Yo sé la respuesta.

Facts and information take saber; conocer is for people and places you have met or visited.

Mistake 3

Wrong: Treating saber as a regular verb.

Right: Learn the irregular forms: present sé, preterite supe.

saber is irregular — its present and preterite do not follow the regular endings, so they have to be memorised as a set.

Quiz: saber in everyday use

Ten questions on saber across the tenses. Answers with explanations follow each question.

1. What is the yo form of saber in the present tense?

  • A) sé
  • B) sabes
  • C) sabe
  • D) sabemos

Answer: A — The yo form in the present tense is sé.

2. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of saber in the present tense?

  • A) sé
  • B) sabes
  • C) sabemos
  • D) sabe

Answer: D — The él/ella/Ud. form in the present tense is sabe.

3. What is the yo form of saber in the preterite?

  • A) supo
  • B) supimos
  • C) supe
  • D) supiste

Answer: C — The yo form in the preterite is supe.

4. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of saber in the preterite?

  • A) supo
  • B) supieron
  • C) supe
  • D) supiste

Answer: B — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the preterite is supieron.

5. What is the yo form of saber in the imperfect?

  • A) sabía
  • B) sabías
  • C) sabía
  • D) sabíamos

Answer: A — The yo form in the imperfect is sabía.

6. What is the tú form of saber in the future?

  • A) sabré
  • B) sabrá
  • C) sabremos
  • D) sabrás

Answer: D — The tú form in the future is sabrás.

7. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of saber in the conditional?

  • A) sabrías
  • B) sabríamos
  • C) sabría
  • D) sabría

Answer: C — The él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional is sabría.

8. What is the nosotros/as form of saber in the present perfect?

  • A) ha sabido
  • B) hemos sabido
  • C) he sabido
  • D) has sabido

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the present perfect is hemos sabido.

9. Fill in the blank: “Yo ___ la respuesta correcta.” (I know the correct answer.)

  • A) sé
  • B) sabes
  • C) sabe
  • D) sabemos

Answer: A — The sentence needs sé.

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Yo sé la respuesta.
  • B) Yo sabo la respuesta.

Answer: A — The yo form is sé, with an accent — never sabo.

Frequently asked questions

What does saber mean?

saber means “to know” in English. Saber means to know a fact, to know how to do something, and to know information: sé la respuesta, sé nadar, ¿sabes qué hora es? It is different from conocer, which is for people and places. Its present is sé, its preterite supe, its future stem sabr-, its subjunctive sepa.

Is saber regular?

No. saber is an irregular -er verb (irregular in present, preterite, future, conditional, present-subjunctive, imperfect-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative). It is irregular in present, preterite, future, conditional, present-subjunctive, imperfect-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative, and those forms have to be learnt as a set rather than built by rule. The full conjugation page shows every tense.

When do I use saber in the past — preterite or imperfect?

Use the preterite — supe, supiste, supo — for a finished action at a specific moment, and the imperfect — sabía, sabías, sabía — for what was happening, what used to happen, or the background. The same rule applies to saber as to every Spanish verb; the tense changes the meaning, not the verb.

How can I practise saber?

Start with the examples above, say them aloud, then take the quiz on this page. For more practice, use the Spanish Verb Quiz and the Saber Conjugator, and read the full conjugation page for saber to see the verb in every tense.

Say it yourself

Reading is not enough — say the verb aloud before you move on. Use the forms from the tables on this page and answer these three prompts as full sentences. First, say a sentence about yourself in the present tense: “Yo sé…”. Second, say a sentence about yesterday in the preterite: “Ayer yo supe…”. Third, say a sentence about tomorrow in the future: “Mañana yo sabré…”. If you can answer all three without looking at the tables, the forms are starting to stick. If you hesitate, go back to the examples above, read them aloud twice, and try again. Speaking the forms is what turns a table you have seen into a verb you can use.

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