savoir/connaitre

[george willms]

Is there a difference in meaning between:

1. Je sais la vérité     and

2. Je connait la vérité.

[george willms]

Sorry I meant:

Je connais la vérité!

[George Hunt]

Yes , I would say there is a difference.

 "connaitre" implies an in depth  knowledge  and "savoir" would be more "factual"  and less contextual.

"La vérité." ,as implied by the use of savoir might almost be summed up as a yes/no kind of   knowledge.

In my opinion.....

[Esteban de la Cruz]

In most cases, I don't think a french speaker would make any difference between these two verbs in that sentence. I could use both.

Unlike George, I think that Savoir implies an in depth knowledge, and that Connaître is more factual, but it's really a matter of "feeling" in most cases.

Basically,  Connaître means "to know that something exists", Savoir means "to know this thing in a more substancial way", but very often, they have the same meaning.

[Crack1]

It should be 'French speaker'.

In English the word 'French' is a proper noun.

So we always write 'French' not 'french'

You are a native French speaker. NOT You are a native french speaker.

[Esteban de la Cruz]

Thanks, I forgot that.

[Stevo]

Hi everybody.

It's true that French* people use sometimes undifferently “connaître” and “savoir”, and regarding some English people whom I exchange sometimes, I understand that they have a lot of difficulties to know how using eachother.

If, in talking, you make this typical error, don't worry. All French people know how to translate by the deep sense of your sentence. In fact, more you will speak French and more you will master this common habit. Here my friendly advice.

Besides, for French beginning learners, here a simple rule that helps in most of cases.

- “Je sais quelque chose” ( I know something ) and “je connais quelqu'un” ( I know somebody ).

Indeed, it's impossible to “savoir quelqu'un”. This example is a big mistake that you have to avoid.

Finaly, about the first rule part, you can “savoir” and sometimes “connaître” quelque chose. But regarding that, it's justely the regular practice of the French language that allows you to make the subtle difference of daily usages.

*Concerning the "French" uppercase, I also sometimes make this error. Anyway, forgotting this rules for other countries adjectives is never considered like contemptuous. It's simply a French usage transposed inside another language. ^^

Passer une bonne journée. Content de vous connaître.

( Have a lovely day. Glad to know you. )

Stevo.