saber
English
editPronunciation
edit- (US, Canada) IPA(key): /ˈseɪ.bɚ/
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈseɪ.bə(ɹ)/
Audio (Southern England): (file) - Rhymes: -eɪbə(ɹ)
- Hyphenation: sa‧ber
Noun
editsaber (plural sabers)
- (American spelling) Alternative form of sabre
- Clipping of lightsaber
Verb
editsaber (third-person singular simple present sabers, present participle sabering, simple past and past participle sabered)
- (American spelling) Alternative form of sabre
Translations
editAnagrams
editAsturian
editEtymology
editInherited from Latin sapere (“taste, know”).
Pronunciation
editVerb
editsaber
- to know
Related terms
editCatalan
editAlternative forms
editEtymology
editInherited from Old Catalan saber, from Vulgar Latin *sapēre, from Latin sapĕre (“taste, know”).
Pronunciation
editVerb
editsaber (first-person singular present sé, first-person singular preterite sabí, past participle sabut)
Conjugation
editinfinitive | saber | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
gerund | sabent | ||||||
past participle | masculine | feminine | |||||
singular | sabut | sabuda | |||||
plural | sabuts | sabudes | |||||
person | singular | plural | |||||
first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
indicative | jo | tu | ell/ella vostè |
nosaltres nós |
vosaltres vós |
ells/elles vostès | |
present | sé | saps | sap | sabem | sabeu | saben | |
imperfect | sabia | sabies | sabia | sabíem | sabíeu | sabien | |
future | sabré | sabràs | sabrà | sabrem | sabreu | sabran | |
preterite | sabí | saberes | sabé | sabérem | sabéreu | saberen | |
conditional | sabria | sabries | sabria | sabríem | sabríeu | sabrien | |
subjunctive | jo | tu | ell/ella vostè |
nosaltres nós |
vosaltres vós |
ells/elles vostès | |
present | sàpiga | sàpigues | sàpiga | sapiguem | sapigueu | sàpiguen | |
imperfect | sabés | sabessis | sabés | sabéssim | sabéssiu | sabessin | |
imperative | — | tu | vostè | nosaltres | vosaltres vós |
vostès | |
affirmative | — | sàpiga | sàpiga | sapiguem | sapigueu | sàpiguen | |
negative (no) | — | no sàpigues | no sàpiga | no sapiguem | no sapigueu | no sàpiguen |
Derived terms
editRelated terms
editNoun
editsaber m (plural sabers)
See also
edit- conèixer (“to be familiar with”)
References
edit- “saber” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “saber”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
- “saber” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “saber” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
Galician
editEtymology
editFrom Old Galician-Portuguese saber, from Latin sapere (“taste, know”).
Pronunciation
editVerb
editsaber (first-person singular present sei, first-person singular preterite souben, past participle sabido)
saber (first-person singular present sei, first-person singular preterite soubem or soube, past participle sabido, reintegrationist norm)
- to know (a fact)
- to know how to do (something)
- Val máis saber que ter (proverb)
- Better to know than to have
- to find out
- (intransitive) to taste, to have a taste
- Sabe ben! ― It tastes good!
- (takes a reflexive pronoun) to like, enjoy
- A min sábeme o caldo. ― I like broth / I like this broth.
Usage notes
editLike Portuguese and Spanish, Galician has two different verbs that are usually translated to English as “to know”. The verb saber relates to factual knowledge and skills. In contrast, the verb coñecer relates to familiarity with people or places.
Conjugation
editCurrently, it is not known where the first person singular form that is currently used for the present indicative, "sei", originates from.
Singular | Plural | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First-person (eu) |
Second-person (ti) |
Third-person (el / ela / Vde.) |
First-person (nós) |
Second-person (vós) |
Third-person (eles / elas / Vdes.) | |
Infinitive | ||||||
Impersonal | saber | |||||
Personal | saber | saberes | saber | sabermos | saberdes | saberen |
Gerund | ||||||
sabendo | ||||||
Past participle | ||||||
Masculine | sabido | sabidos | ||||
Feminine | sabida | sabidas | ||||
Indicative | ||||||
Present | sei | sabes | sabe | sabemos | sabedes | saben |
Imperfect | sabía | sabías | sabía | sabiamos | sabiades | sabían |
Preterite | souben | soubeches | soubo | soubemos | soubestes | souberon |
Pluperfect | soubera | souberas | soubera | souberamos | souberades | souberan |
Future | saberei | saberás | saberá | saberemos | saberedes | saberán |
Conditional | sabería | saberías | sabería | saberiamos | saberiades | saberían |
Subjunctive | ||||||
Present | saiba | saibas | saiba | saibamos | saibades | saiban |
Imperfect | soubese | soubeses | soubese | soubésemos | soubésedes | soubesen |
Future | souber | souberes | souber | soubermos | souberdes | souberen |
Imperative | ||||||
Affirmative | sabe | saiba | saibamos | sabede | saiban | |
Negative (non) | non saibas | non saiba | non saibamos | non saibades | non saiban |
1Less recommended.
Derived terms
editRelated terms
editSee also
editNoun
editsaber m (plural saberes)
References
edit- Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “saber”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
- Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “saber”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: ILG
- Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “saber”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
- Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “saber”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
- Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “saber”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN
Occitan
editAlternative forms
editEtymology
editInherited from Old Occitan saber, from Vulgar Latin *sapēre, from Latin sapĕre (“taste, know”).
Pronunciation
editVerb
editsaber
Conjugation
editsimple | compound | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
infinitive | saber | aver sauput | |||||
gerund | sabent | use gerund of avent + past participle | |||||
past participle | sauput | — | |||||
person | singular | plural | |||||
first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
indicative | ieu | tu | el | nosautres | vosautres | eles | |
present | sabi, sai | sabes, sas | sap | sabèm | sabètz | sabon | |
imperfect | sabiái | sabiás | sabiá | sabiam | sabiatz | sabián | |
preterite | saupèri | saupères | saupèt | saupèrem | saupèretz | saupèron | |
future | sauprai | saupràs | sauprà | sauprem | saupretz | saupràn | |
conditional | saupriái | saupriás | saupriá | saupriam | saupriatz | sauprián | |
conditional 2nd form1 | |||||||
compound tenses |
present perfect | use the present tense of aver + past participle | |||||
pluperfect | use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle | ||||||
past anterior | use the preterite tense of aver + past participle | ||||||
future perfect | use the future tense of aver + past participle | ||||||
conditional perfect | use the conditional tense of aver + past participle | ||||||
subjunctive | que ieu | que tu | que el | que nosautres | que vosautres | que eles | |
present | sàpia | sàpias | sàpia | sapiam | sapiatz | sàpian | |
imperfect | saupèsse | saupèsses | saupèsse | saupèssem | saupèssetz | saupèsson | |
compound tenses |
past | use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle | |||||
pluperfect | use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle | ||||||
imperative | — | tu | — | nosautres | vosautres | — | |
sap | sapiam | sabètz | 1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects | ||||
Related terms
editOld Occitan
editEtymology
editInherited from Vulgar Latin *sapēre, from Latin sapĕre (“taste, know”).
Verb
editsaber
Noun
editsaber m (oblique plural sabers, nominative singular sabers, nominative plural saber)
Related terms
edit- sabor (noun)
Descendants
edit- Catalan: saber
References
edit- Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “sapere”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, volumes 11: S–Si, page 193
Portuguese
editEtymology
editFrom Old Galician-Portuguese saber, from Latin sapere (“taste, know”).
The 1SG reflects an original */ˈsajᵒ/, in common with other Romance languages, of uncertain origin. The present subjunctive forms show consonant metathesis (sapiām > */ˈsajpa/ > Pt. saiba).
Pronunciation
edit
Verb
editsaber (first-person singular present sei, first-person singular preterite soube, past participle sabido)
- to know
(transitive or intransitive) to be aware, to know [with direct object ‘a fact’ or que (+ indicative clause when positive or subjunctive clause when negated) ‘that ...’ or indirect question]
- Perguntaram-me a resposta, mas eu não sabia. ― They asked me the answer, but I didn’t know.
- Sei que é verdade. ― I know it’s true.
- (transitive) to be aware of a value or piece of information
- 2003, J. K. Rowling, Lia Wyler, Harry Potter e a Ordem da Fênix, Rocco, page 46:
- Olho-Tonto, você sabe que isso é nojento, não sabe?
- Mad-Eye, you know that this is disgusting, don't you?
- Eu sei qual é a capital da Assíria. ― I know what is the capital of Assyria.
- Ele sabe duzentos algarismos do número neperiano. ― He knows two hundred digits of Euler’s number.
- (catenative) to know how [with infinitive ‘to do something’]
- Não sei fazer isso, mas ela sabe. ― I don’t know how to do this, but she knows.
- Sabes falar russo? ― Can you speak Russian?
- (intransitive) to know; to have heard [with de or sobre ‘about something’]
- Soube da explosão que houve no centro? ― Have you heard about the downtown explosion?
- (intransitive, Portugal) to taste of/like (to have the same taste as) [with a ‘something’]
- Um bom vinho sabe a carvalho. ― A good wine tastes like oak.
- (intransitive, Portugal) to have a pleasant taste
- Como sabe esse vinho! ― How good does this wine taste!
- {[lb|pt|transitive}} to learn (to become informed of something)
- Eles querem saber mais sobre o projeto. ― They want to learn more about the project.
Usage notes
edit- saber does not mean to know in the sense of knowing someone (who they are); for that, conhecer should be used instead.
- Although nonstandard, some speakers change the conjugation for the first person singular depending on the meaning of the verb: it is conjugated as sei if it means to know, but as saibo if it means to taste. Aside from this case, all the other verb forms are homonymous.
Conjugation
editSingular | Plural | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First-person (eu) |
Second-person (tu) |
Third-person (ele / ela / você) |
First-person (nós) |
Second-person (vós) |
Third-person (eles / elas / vocês) | |
Infinitive | ||||||
Impersonal | saber | |||||
Personal | saber | saberes | saber | sabermos | saberdes | saberem |
Gerund | ||||||
sabendo | ||||||
Past participle | ||||||
Masculine | sabido | sabidos | ||||
Feminine | sabida | sabidas | ||||
Indicative | ||||||
Present | sei | sabes | sabe | sabemos | sabeis | sabem |
Imperfect | sabia | sabias | sabia | sabíamos | sabíeis | sabiam |
Preterite | soube | soubeste | soube | soubemos | soubestes | souberam |
Pluperfect | soubera | souberas | soubera | soubéramos | soubéreis | souberam |
Future | saberei | saberás | saberá | saberemos | sabereis | saberão |
Conditional | saberia | saberias | saberia | saberíamos | saberíeis | saberiam |
Subjunctive | ||||||
Present | saiba | saibas | saiba | saibamos | saibais | saibam |
Imperfect | soubesse | soubesses | soubesse | soubéssemos | soubésseis | soubessem |
Future | souber | souberes | souber | soubermos | souberdes | souberem |
Imperative | ||||||
Affirmative | sabe | saiba | saibamos | sabei | saibam | |
Negative (não) | não saibas | não saiba | não saibamos | não saibais | não saibam |
Quotations
editFor quotations using this term, see Citations:saber.
Synonyms
editDescendants
edit- Kabuverdianu: sabe
- Macanese: sabe
- Macau Pidgin Portuguese: 撒㗑, 撒備, 散拜
- Papiamentu: sabi
- → Bislama: save
- → Krio: sabi
- → Nigerian Pidgin: sabi
- → Sranan Tongo: sabi
- → Tok Pisin: save
Noun
editsaber m (plural saberes)
- knowledge; lore (intellectual understanding)
- Synonyms: conhecimento, sabedoria
Derived terms
editRelated terms
editSpanish
editEtymology
editInherited from Latin sapere (“taste, know”). Compare English savvy, savor.
The 1SG reflects an original */ˈsajo/, in common with other Romance languages, of uncertain origin. The present subjunctive forms show consonant metathesis (sapiām > */ˈsajpa/ > Sp. sepa).
Pronunciation
editVerb
editsaber (first-person singular present sé, first-person singular preterite supe, past participle sabido)
- to know (a fact)
- Sé que volverá. ― I know it'll come back.
- Lo siguiente que sé... ― Next thing I know...
- que yo sepa ― as far as I know
- Si tu supieras... ― If you knew...
- to know how to do something
- Sabe hablar español.
- He knows how to speak Spanish.
- (in the preterite tense) to find out, to learn
- to taste
- Sabe a pollo. ― It tastes like chicken.
- to realize, to know (i.e. recognize)
- El hombre no sabe lo talentoso que su hijo es.
- The man doesn't realize how talented his son is.
- to tell, to know (i.e. to discern or distinguish if something is the case)
- Siempre es difícil saber si me mientes.
- It's always hard to tell if you're lying to me.
- (informal) to figure out
- Todavía estamos tratando de saber qué acaba de pasar.
- We're still trying to figure out what just happened.
- to hear from [with de ‘someone’]
- No he sabido nada de ella en meses.
- I haven't heard from her in months.
- to hear of, to hear about [with de ‘something’]
- to learn, to find out, to know [with de ‘about something’]
- (reflexive) to be known
- Ya se sabe que uno de los factores que aceleran esta enfermedad es el estrés.
- It is known that one of the factors that speeds up this disease is stress.
- (reflexive) to know (extremely well)
- He oído que te sabes todas las líneas de la película de memoria.
- I heard that you know all the lines of the movie by heart.
Conjugation
editinfinitive | saber | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
gerund | sabiendo | ||||||
past participle | masculine | feminine | |||||
singular | sabido | sabida | |||||
plural | sabidos | sabidas | |||||
singular | plural | ||||||
1st person | 2nd person | 3rd person | 1st person | 2nd person | 3rd person | ||
indicative | yo | tú vos |
él/ella/ello usted |
nosotros nosotras |
vosotros vosotras |
ellos/ellas ustedes | |
present | sé | sabestú sabésvos |
sabe | sabemos | sabéis | saben | |
imperfect | sabía | sabías | sabía | sabíamos | sabíais | sabían | |
preterite | supe | supiste | supo | supimos | supisteis | supieron | |
future | sabré | sabrás | sabrá | sabremos | sabréis | sabrán | |
conditional | sabría | sabrías | sabría | sabríamos | sabríais | sabrían | |
subjunctive | yo | tú vos |
él/ella/ello usted |
nosotros nosotras |
vosotros vosotras |
ellos/ellas ustedes | |
present | sepa | sepastú sepásvos2 |
sepa | sepamos | sepáis | sepan | |
imperfect (ra) |
supiera | supieras | supiera | supiéramos | supierais | supieran | |
imperfect (se) |
supiese | supieses | supiese | supiésemos | supieseis | supiesen | |
future1 | supiere | supieres | supiere | supiéremos | supiereis | supieren | |
imperative | — | tú vos |
usted | nosotros nosotras |
vosotros vosotras |
ustedes | |
affirmative | sabetú sabévos |
sepa | sepamos | sabed | sepan | ||
negative | no sepas | no sepa | no sepamos | no sepáis | no sepan |
These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.
Derived terms
edit- a saber
- Dios sabe
- esto es a saber
- me sabe mal
- no lo sabes bien
- no saber a qué carta quedarse
- no saber de qué va la fiesta
- no saber hacer la o con un canuto
- no sé cuántos
- no te acostarás sin saber una cosa más
- nunca se sabe
- por lo poco que uno sabe
- por lo que sepa
- qué sé yo
- que yo sepa
- quién sabe
- sabe Dios
- saber de qué pie cojea
- saber más que los ratones colorados
- sabrá Dios
- si lo sabré yo
- vete a saber
- yo sabré
Related terms
editNoun
editsaber m (plural saberes)
Derived terms
editDescendants
editFurther reading
edit- “saber”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/eɪbə(ɹ)
- Rhymes:English/eɪbə(ɹ)/2 syllables
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- American English forms
- English clippings
- English verbs
- en:Fencing
- Asturian terms inherited from Latin
- Asturian terms derived from Latin
- Asturian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Asturian lemmas
- Asturian verbs
- Catalan terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- Catalan terms inherited from Old Catalan
- Catalan terms derived from Old Catalan
- Catalan terms inherited from Vulgar Latin
- Catalan terms derived from Vulgar Latin
- Catalan terms inherited from Latin
- Catalan terms derived from Latin
- Catalan terms with IPA pronunciation
- Catalan terms with audio links
- Catalan lemmas
- Catalan verbs
- Catalan second conjugation verbs
- Catalan irregular verbs
- Catalan nouns
- Catalan countable nouns
- Catalan masculine nouns
- Galician terms inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese
- Galician terms derived from Old Galician-Portuguese
- Galician terms inherited from Latin
- Galician terms derived from Latin
- Galician terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:Galician/eɾ
- Rhymes:Galician/eɾ/2 syllables
- Galician lemmas
- Galician verbs
- Galician verbs ending in -er
- Galician irregular verbs
- Galician terms with usage examples
- Galician intransitive verbs
- Galician nouns
- Galician countable nouns
- Galician masculine nouns
- Occitan terms inherited from Old Occitan
- Occitan terms derived from Old Occitan
- Occitan terms inherited from Vulgar Latin
- Occitan terms derived from Vulgar Latin
- Occitan terms inherited from Latin
- Occitan terms derived from Latin
- Occitan terms with audio links
- Occitan lemmas
- Occitan verbs
- Occitan third group verbs
- Old Occitan terms inherited from Vulgar Latin
- Old Occitan terms derived from Vulgar Latin
- Old Occitan terms inherited from Latin
- Old Occitan terms derived from Latin
- Old Occitan lemmas
- Old Occitan verbs
- Old Occitan nouns
- Old Occitan masculine nouns
- Portuguese terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- Portuguese terms inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese
- Portuguese terms derived from Old Galician-Portuguese
- Portuguese terms inherited from Latin
- Portuguese terms derived from Latin
- Portuguese 2-syllable words
- Portuguese terms with IPA pronunciation
- Portuguese 3-syllable words
- Portuguese lemmas
- Portuguese verbs
- Portuguese verbs ending in -er
- Portuguese irregular verbs
- Portuguese transitive verbs
- Portuguese intransitive verbs
- Portuguese terms with usage examples
- Portuguese terms with quotations
- European Portuguese
- Portuguese nouns
- Portuguese countable nouns
- Portuguese masculine nouns
- Spanish terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- Spanish terms inherited from Latin
- Spanish terms derived from Latin
- Spanish 2-syllable words
- Spanish terms with IPA pronunciation
- Spanish terms with audio links
- Rhymes:Spanish/eɾ
- Rhymes:Spanish/eɾ/2 syllables
- Spanish lemmas
- Spanish verbs
- Spanish verbs ending in -er
- Spanish irregular verbs
- Spanish terms with usage examples
- Spanish informal terms
- Spanish reflexive verbs
- Spanish nouns
- Spanish countable nouns
- Spanish masculine nouns
- es:Thinking
- Spanish modal verbs