saber preterite conjugation
Saber (to know (facts/how to)) in the preterite: supe, supiste, supo, supimos, supisteis, supieron.
Pretérito indefinido Preterite
| yo | regular: sabí |
|---|---|
| tú | regular: sabiste |
| él/ella/usted | regular: sabió |
| nosotros | regular: sabimos |
| vosotros | regular: sabisteis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | regular: sabieron |
ending regular · irr breaks the pattern · tap a form to hear it
When to use the preterite
The preterite (pretérito indefinido) is the past tense for completed actions with a clear start or end: “Ayer hice la cena.” For background, habits and ongoing states in the past, Spanish uses the imperfect instead.
How it is formed
Regular endings: -ar → é, aste, ó, amos, asteis, aron; -er/-ir → í, iste, ió, imos, isteis, ieron. Many common verbs use an irregular stem (hic-, tuv-, estuv-, pud-, quis-, dij-) with unstressed endings -e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -ieron.
Saber is irregular here. 6 of 6 forms break the pattern (dark tiles above); the regular pattern would give sabí, sabiste, sabió, sabimos, sabisteis, sabieron.
Read more: Preterite vs imperfect: when to use each
Saber in a sentence
- Sé hablar francés.I know how to speak French.
- No sabíamos la respuesta.We didn't know the answer.
Irregular yo form 'sé'; contrasts with 'conocer' (to know people/places).
FAQ
What is the preterite of saber?
Saber in the Spanish preterite: yo supe, tú supiste, él/ella/usted supo, nosotros supimos, vosotros supisteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes supieron.
Is saber irregular in the preterite?
Yes. 6 of 6 forms break the regular pattern: yo supe (regular would be sabí); tú supiste (regular would be sabiste); él/ella/usted supo (regular would be sabió); nosotros supimos (regular would be sabimos); vosotros supisteis (regular would be sabisteis); ellos/ellas/ustedes supieron (regular would be sabieron).
When do you use the Spanish preterite?
The preterite (pretérito indefinido) is the past tense for completed actions with a clear start or end: “Ayer hice la cena.” For background, habits and ongoing states in the past, Spanish uses the imperfect instead.
How is the preterite formed?
Regular endings: -ar → é, aste, ó, amos, asteis, aron; -er/-ir → í, iste, ió, imos, isteis, ieron. Many common verbs use an irregular stem (hic-, tuv-, estuv-, pud-, quis-, dij-) with unstressed endings -e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -ieron.
Full saber conjugation, all tenses →
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