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19/02/2008, 18:20 Pads Joined on 24/05/2006 Cornwall/ Montage Noir Posts 3,418 Re: savoir or connaitre ? just checking another , to see if im getting this !! est-ce qu'ils connaissent des gens en angleterre ? Dirty Tom =^..^= Where ever I lay my paw thats my home    Report

19/02/2008, 18:21 cooperlola Joined on 05/05/2006 72 - Sarthe - home of les 24 heures du Mans Posts 6,418 Re: savoir or connaitre ?  Pads wrote: just checking another , to see if im getting this !! est-ce qu'ils connaissent des gens en angleterre ? Yup, imo! Healthcare Issues Site    Report

19/02/2008, 19:44 Patf Joined on 23/08/2004 SW Gers Posts 2,310 Re: savoir or connaitre ? I asked the same question once: http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/702895/ShowPost.aspx Hope it helps.    Report

20/02/2008, 8:15 allanb Joined on 04/09/2006 Posts 595 Re: savoir or connaitre ? To remember the difference, it may help to know (savoir) that "savoir" also means "to be able to" do something, in the sense of knowing how: Il ne sait pas nager = he can't swim (because he never learned) - as opposed to - Il ne peut pas nager = he can't swim (because there's ice on the pool)    Report

20/02/2008, 8:47 Pads Joined on 24/05/2006 Cornwall/ Montage Noir Posts 3,418 Re: savoir or connaitre ? Thanks everyone for your help on this one Dirty Tom =^..^= Where ever I lay my paw thats my home    Report

21/02/2008, 19:53 crépuscule Joined on 19/01/2006 Scotland Posts 52 Re: savoir or connaitre ? I thought the link to france.about.com was good until I tried the test! I re-read the explanations then re-did the test & did much better the second time (too modest to give the score!) The situations that confuse me are when it's either "being familiar with something" which is connaitre or "knowing a fact" which is savoir. I have convinced myself that you can use both in the same sentence, e.g. "Je connais les paroles de La Marseillaise mais je ne les sais pas." i.e. "I am familiar with the words of La Marseillasie but I don't know them (by heart)." Is this acceptable?    Report

21/02/2008, 20:08 Pads Joined on 24/05/2006 Cornwall/ Montage Noir Posts 3,418 Re: savoir or connaitre ? Im no expert, in fact im rubbish ............ But shouldnt the first one be sais too ?  I dunno ...................  Dirty Tom =^..^= Where ever I lay my paw thats my home    Report

21/02/2008, 21:12 DZ Joined on 23/09/2005 Languedoc Roussillon Posts 269 Re: savoir or connaitre ? Hi Pads The latest issue of the French Accent magazine covers the topic of savoir/connaitre in detail - I would wholeheartedly recommend it.  The electronic magazine is not free any more (it used to be), but it is very much worth the small subscription fee in my humble opinion. Best wishes    Report

22/02/2008, 0:52 Bones Joined on 23/08/2004 Posts 425 Re: savoir or connaitre ?  crépuscule wrote: I thought the link to france.about.com was good until I tried the test! I re-read the explanations then re-did the test & did much better the second time (too modest to give the score!) The situations that confuse me are when it's either "being familiar with something" which is connaitre or "knowing a fact" which is savoir. I have convinced myself that you can use both in the same sentence, e.g. "Je connais les paroles de La Marseillaise mais je ne les sais pas." i.e. "I am familiar with the words of La Marseillasie but I don't know them (by heart)." Is this acceptable? It wouldn't work in English, as you pointed out you'd have to add "by heart", you'd probably do the same in French if you used your example (employing the literal translation of  "by heart"). The only sort of exception I can think of is when you hear French people say "Oui, je le sais mais... blah blah blah"; not "je sais" but "je le sais". I think it's like saying "I know all to well", or "I"m aware of the fact".     Report

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France Forum » French Culture » French Language » Re: savoir or connaitre ?

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