Saber or Conocer? 7 Spanish Verb Pairs English Mixes Up
Saber vs conocer, pedir vs preguntar and five more Spanish verb pairs English speakers mix up, with fixes, memory hooks and a self test quiz.
Nativia Team
English crams a lot of meaning into very few verbs. You know a fact and you know a person. Your phone works and your friend works. Spanish refuses to be that lazy and gives each meaning its own verb. Pick the wrong one and everyone instantly knows you translated straight from English.
I learned every pair on this list the embarrassing way, in real conversations. Here are the seven that trip up English speakers most, each with a memory hook so it sticks.
Quiz ahead: A six question self test waits at the end of this article. The spend question catches almost everyone on the first try.1. Know: saber vs conocer
Saber covers facts and skills, anything you could state or do. Conocer covers familiarity with people, places, and things you have experienced.
Wrong: ¿Sabes a mi amigo Diego? Right: ¿Conoces a mi amigo Diego? (Do you know my friend Diego?) Also right: Sé dónde vive. (I know where he lives.)
Memory hook: if you could Google it, it is saber. If you had to meet it or visit it, it is conocer.
2. Ask: preguntar vs pedir
Preguntar is asking for information. Pedir is asking for a thing or a favor.
Wrong: Le pregunté una cerveza. Right: Le pedí una cerveza. (I asked him for a beer.) Also right: Pregúntale dónde está el baño. (Ask him where the bathroom is.)
Memory hook: preguntar ends in a question mark. Pedir ends with something in your hand.
Reading is step one. Speaking is what makes it stick.
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3. Work: trabajar vs funcionar
People trabajar. Machines, wifi, and elevators funcionar.
Wrong: El wifi no trabaja. Right: El wifi no funciona. (The wifi does not work.)
Memory hook: machines do not earn a salary, so they never trabajar.
4. Play: jugar vs tocar
Jugar is for games and sports. Tocar is for instruments and music.
Wrong: Juego la guitarra. Right: Toco la guitarra. (I play the guitar.) Also right: Juego al fútbol los domingos. (I play soccer on Sundays.)
Memory hook: tocar literally means to touch, and you touch the strings.
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5. Spend: gastar vs pasar
Gastar is only for money. Time is not spent in Spanish, it passes, so you use pasar.
Wrong: Gasté tres horas en el aeropuerto. Right: Pasé tres horas en el aeropuerto. (I spent three hours at the airport.) Also right: Gasté veinte euros en tapas. (I spent twenty euros on tapas.)
Memory hook: gastar sounds like gas. Only money and fuel run out.
6. Leave: salir vs dejar
When you exit a place, use salir or irse. When you leave something behind, use dejar.
Wrong: Salí mi mochila en el taxi. Right: Dejé mi mochila en el taxi. (I left my backpack in the taxi.) Also right: Salimos del bar a las dos. (We left the bar at two.)
Memory hook: dejar always drags an object along. Salir walks out alone.
7. Return: volver vs devolver
Volver means you go back somewhere. Devolver means you give something back.
Wrong: Quiero volver estos zapatos. Right: Quiero devolver estos zapatos. (I want to return these shoes.) Also right: Vuelvo a Medellín en marzo. (I go back to Medellín in March.)
Memory hook: the de in devolver is the receipt. Giving something back needs one.
Test yourself
Fresh sentences, none from above. Pick the right verb and check your answers.
Choose the correct verb in each sentence, then check your answers.
1. tocar el piano desde los diez años.
I have known how to play the piano since I was ten.
2.El ascensor no .
The elevator does not work.
3.You want to ask the waiter for the bill. Which verb do you need?
4.¿Cuánto dinero en Barcelona?
How much money did you spend in Barcelona?
5.Which sentence is correct?
6.Mañana los libros a la biblioteca.
Tomorrow I will return the books to the library.
The cheat sheet
One English verb, two Spanish verbs
| English verb | Option A | Option B | Quick rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| know | saber: facts and skills | conocer: people and places | Googleable is saber, met or visited is conocer |
| ask | preguntar: for information | pedir: for things and favors | Preguntar asks a question, pedir holds out a hand |
| work | trabajar: people | funcionar: machines | Machines do not earn a salary |
| play | jugar a: games and sports | tocar: instruments | You touch the strings |
| spend | gastar: money | pasar: time | Only money and gas run out, time passes |
| leave | salir or irse: exit a place | dejar: leave something behind | Dejar always carries an object |
| return | volver: go back | devolver: give back | The de in devolver is the receipt |
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FAQ
Do I use saber or conocer for a city?
Conocer, because a city is something you experience, not a fact you state. Conozco bien Ciudad de México. (I know Mexico City well.) Saying it with saber marks you as a beginner immediately.
Can pedir also mean to order food?
Yes, pedir is the standard verb for ordering in restaurants. ¿Ya pidieron? (Did you all order yet?) is what waiters across Latin America will ask your table.
Why do I hear tocar in sentences that have nothing to do with music?
The core meaning of tocar is to touch, and it also covers whose turn it is. Te toca pagar. (It is your turn to pay.) Context makes it obvious which meaning is active.
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