In Spanish, the verbs "conocer" and "saber" both translate to "to know" in English, but they are used in different contexts and have distinct meanings.
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Conocer:
- Meaning: Generally refers to being familiar with people, places, or things. It implies personal acquaintance or experience.
- Usage:
- To talk about knowing someone personally: "Conozco a María." (I know María.)
- To express familiarity with a place: "Conozco Madrid." (I know Madrid.)
- To indicate an understanding of a concept or thing that involves personal experience: "Conozco esta canción." (I know this song.)
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Saber:
- Meaning: Refers to knowing facts, information, or skills. It implies having knowledge that can be learned or studied.
- Usage:
- To state knowledge of facts or information: "Sé que la capital de España es Madrid." (I know that the capital of Spain is Madrid.)
- To indicate knowledge of how to do something: "Sé nadar." (I know how to swim.)
- To express awareness or understanding of a situation: "No sé qué hacer." (I don't know what to do.)
In summary, use "conocer" when talking about familiarity with people, places, or things, and use "saber" when referring to factual knowledge or skills.