4.5 Did You Know? (Part 1)
Language & Culture Lessons
It may seem like a rhetorical question, but truth be told there's a lot to be said about what you know in French, in fact
there’s two ways ‘of knowing,’ and we'll uncover them both in this lesson. Get the Rocket scoop on « savoir » and «
connaître » in this grammar lesson.
Language Lesson
Did You Know?
Did you know that there are two ways of knowing in French? Both « savoir » and « connaître » mean to know. Each
has specific applications that you will begin to identify with practice.
As a general rule, when you know something, then it’s appropriate to use the verb « savoir », specifically when it’s
about facts and lists, or when it’s used in a general sense.
When you know someone, it is more appropriate to use the verb « connaître ». When referring to knowledge about
something that you are very familiar with, or that you have experienced personally, « connaître » is generally used.
You could think of « connaître » as being somewhat like the English “to be acquainted with ” or “to be familiar with ”.
Let’s first look at each verb and how it changes from the present to the past and then look at examples of each use.
Savoir = to know (something factual or general)
The first line, e.g. « Je sais », represents the present tense, and the second line, e.g. « Je savais », represents the
imperfect past tense.
Je sais
I know
Je savais
I knew
Tu sais
You know (casual)
Tu savais
You knew (casual)
Il sait
He knows
Il savait
He knew
Elle sait
She knows
Elle savait
She knew
Nous savons
We know
Nous savions
We knew
Vous savez
You know (formal)
Vous saviez
You knew (formal)
Ils savent
They know (masculine)
Ils savaient
They knew (masculine)
Elles savent
They know (feminine)
Elles savaient
They knew (feminine)
For Example
Que savez-vous à propos de ce livre ?
What do you know about this book?
Savoir ce qu'il faut faire.
Knowing what to do.
J'en sais quelque chose !
I know something about it!
Tu sais, il vaut mieux laisser faire les choses.
You know, it's best to let things be.
Savais tu que ?
Did you know that?
Que savez vous à propos de ce livre ?
What do you know about this book?
● Savoir = to know something factual or general
Culture
To the Supermarket!
France has three kinds of supermarket: hypermarché, supermarché and supérette. The first is a superstore selling
groceries and general merchandise. You can find it on the outskirts of a town, with acres of parking and often a gas
station attached. The second is a regular supermarket which only sells groceries. And the last is a mini-market, a
smaller version of a supermarket that often stocks the most basic of items only.
French people will use any of the above to buy their main groceries for the week, and most of them will also pay a
visit to the local market. Going to the market is a colourful experience which will help you discover what fresh
French food is all about! Fresh fruit and vegetables spill out from countless stands; while fragrant cheese and
delicately sliced meats offer another mouth-watering temptation!
The other main attraction of markets is the regional products being sold. These products are produced using only
local ingredients and labour. They might be a little more expensive than others, but they're worth every euro cent.
Bon appétit !
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