Savoir vs Connaître: Two Ways to Know in French

English has one verb « to know »; French insists on two — and swapping them is one of the most reliable ways to sound foreign. The split is clean once you see it: savoir knows facts and skills, connaître knows people and places.

The rule in one table

The two tests that never fail

Test 1 — the noun test: if « know » is followed directly by a person, place or thing, it’s connaître. Connaître ALWAYS takes a direct object — it can never be followed by que, an infinitive, or a question word.

Test 2 — the “how to” test: if you can insert “how to” or “that” in English, it’s savoir: I know (how to) swim → je sais nager; I know (that) it’s late → je sais qu’il est tard.

When both work — with different meanings

« Je sais sa réponse » = I know what the answer is (the information). « Je connais sa réponse » = I’m familiar with it (I’ve heard it before). And in the passé composé they shift again: j’ai su = I found out; j’ai connu = I met / experienced. « J’ai connu Paul en 2019 » — I met Paul in 2019.

FAQ

Is it « je sais Paris » or « je connais Paris »?

Je connais Paris — places always take connaître. « Je sais Paris » is impossible; savoir refuses plain nouns for people and places.

How do I say « I don’t know »?

« Je ne sais pas » — the everyday phrase, often shortened in speech to « je sais pas » (or the ultra-casual « chais pas »). For a person: « Je ne le connais pas » — I don’t know him.

What about « s’y connaître »?

A lovely idiom: « s’y connaître en » = to be knowledgeable about — « Il s’y connaît en vin » (he knows his wine). File it at B1.

Drill both conjugations with audio: savoir and connaître.

Quick practice

📊 Chart it: Every tense of savoir in one chart: the savoir conjugation chart.