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Savoir and connaître both mean to know. Their different uses depend on the context.
Savoir --- Connaître
- je-- sais, connais
- tu-- sais, connais
- il/elle-- sait, connaît
- nous-- savons, connaissons
- vous-- savez, connaissez
- ils/elles-- savent, connaissent
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Savoir means to know facts or to know how to do something.
- Sait-elle chanter?
- -- Does she know how to sing?
- Ils ne savent pas qu'il est parti.
- -- They don't know that he left.
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Connaître means to know or to be familiar with a person, place, or thing.
- Vous connaissez le prof.
- -- You know the professor.
- Tu connais ce quartier?
- -- Do you know the neighborhood?
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In the passé composé, savoir and connaître have special connotations. Savoir in the passé composé means found out. Connaître in the passé composé means met (for the first time). Their past participles, respectively, are su and connu.
- J'ai su qu'il y avait une fête.
- -- I found out there was a party.
- Nous l'avons connu à fac.
- -- We met him at the university.
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Reconnaître means to recognize. It follows the same conjugation patterns as connaître.
- Mes profs de lycée me reconnaissent encore.
- -- My high school teachers still recognize me.
- Nous avons reconnu vos enfants à la soirée.
- -- We recognized your children at the party.
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