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A Knowing Italian Verb
The Italian verb sapere usually means "to know." It has irregular conjugations in just about every tense and mood, and a somewhat different meaning in the past.
Sapere = to know a piece of information
| Sai che ora è? | Do you know what time it is? | |
| Non so dove sono. | I don’t know where they are. |
Sapere + infinitive
To know how to do something
| So guidare. | I know how to drive. | |
| Lui non la sa fare. | He doesn’t know how to do it. |
Sapere + clause
To know, realize
| Non sai cosa stai facendo. | You don’t realize what you’re doing. | |
| Sa di avere torto. | He knows that he’s wrong. |
Sapere present tense conjugations
Sapere is an irregular –ere verb:
| io | so | noi | sappiamo | |
| tu | sai | voi | sapete | |
| lui, lei | sa | loro | sanno |
Meaning changes
Sapere has a different meaning in the past tense.
Sapere = to learn, find out
| Finalmente sapevo cosa era successo. | I finally found out what had happened. | |
| Che cosa sapevi? | What did you find out? |
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Ciao! I’m Laura K Lawless, creator, writer, editor, and CLO (Chief Lawless Officer) of this free online Italian learning site.
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