Savoir vs connaître in French: two ways to know

French has two main verbs for “to know”. Use savoir for facts, information, and knowing how to do something. Use connaître for being familiar with a person, place, work, or thing. So je sais la réponse means “I know the answer”, but je connais Paul means “I know Paul”.

Savoir: facts and skills

Use savoir when the object is information: a fact, answer, rule, date, or what someone said.

Je sais où il habite.
I know where he lives.

Savoir also means “to know how” before an infinitive. French does not add a word for “how” in this pattern.

Elle sait conduire.
She knows how to drive.

Connaître: familiarity

Use connaître when you know a person, city, book, song, restaurant, or subject through familiarity or experience.

Je connais bien Paris.
I know Paris well.

Tu connais cette chanson ?
Do you know this song?

You can know a fact about Paris with savoir, but you know the city itself with connaître.

Common conjugations

Both verbs are irregular and high-frequency.

Common mistakes

Using connaître for a fact

Facts and answers use savoir.

Je connais la réponse. → Je sais la réponse.
I know the answer.

Using savoir for a person

People use connaître.

Je sais Marie. → Je connais Marie.
I know Marie.

Adding comment after savoir + infinitive

French says savoir + infinitive directly.

Je sais comment nager. → Je sais nager.
I know how to swim.

This is a classic confusable-verb pair, like entendre vs écouter: English uses one verb where French makes a useful distinction. Fluera practices the verb inside facts, skills and familiar places, so the object tells you which “know” to use. Try it when you practice French.

Practice