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FrenchConjugationConditionnel

Savoir (to know) · Conditionnel

By TutorLily Editorial Team · Last updated

Savoir in the French conditionnel présent is: je saurais, tu saurais, il/elle/on saurait, nous saurions, vous sauriez, ils/elles sauraient. The conditionnel présent of savoir uses the same irregular stem 'saur-' as the futur. 'Je ne saurais pas vous dire' = 'I wouldn't know what to tell you' (very formal/polite phrasing).

savoir conjugation in the Conditionnel Présent
To KnowSavoir
I would know
je saurais
you would know
tu saurais
he/she would know
il/elle/on saurait
we would know
nous saurions
you would know
vous sauriez
they would know
ils/elles sauraient
Examples

Savoir (to know) in context

Sentences that use savoir in the conditionnel. Tap each to hear it.

Je ne saurais pas te dire.

I wouldn't know what to tell you.

Tu saurais m'aider avec ça?

Would you know how to help me with this?

Il saurait quoi faire à ma place.

He would know what to do in my place.

Nous saurions mieux la réponse demain.

We would know the answer better tomorrow.

Vous sauriez où trouver ça?

Would you know where to find that?

Ils sauraient s'ils écoutaient les nouvelles.

They would know if they listened to the news.

Tip

Working with the conditionnel

The conditionnel présent ("je parlerais") expresses what would happen if a condition were met ("si j'avais le temps, je voyagerais" — if I had time, I would travel). It's also the standard form for polite requests in French: "je voudrais" (I would like) is the polite version of "je veux"; "pourriez-vous" (could you) is the polite version of "pouvez-vous". Structurally, the conditionnel uses the same stem as the futur with imperfect endings: parler- + -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient. Knowing the futur stem of any verb gives you the conditionnel for free — one of the most efficient pedagogy points in French.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How do you conjugate savoir in the conditionnel?
The conditionnel of savoir is: je saurais, tu saurais, il/elle/on saurait, nous saurions, vous sauriez, ils/elles sauraient. Same stem 'saur-' as the futur, plus imperfect endings.
What does 'je ne saurais' mean?
'Je ne saurais' is a formal/literary alternative to 'je ne sais pas' — meaning 'I wouldn't know' or 'I couldn't say'. 'Je ne saurais vous dire' = I wouldn't know how to tell you. The conditional makes it softer and more polite. Often used in writing or formal speech; in everyday conversation, 'je ne sais pas' is preferred.
When do I use the conditionnel of savoir?
Use it for: 1) Hypothetical knowing ('si j'étais là, je saurais' — if I were there, I'd know), 2) Polite phrases ('je ne saurais vous dire' — I couldn't tell you), 3) Reported future-in-past ('il a dit qu'il saurait' — he said he would know). The conditional softens or hedges any statement about knowledge.
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More tenses of Savoir (To Know)

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Savoir (to know) · Futur

More verbs in conditionnel

All tenses
Savoir (to know)
conditionnel
Être (to be)
conditionnel
Avoir (to have)
conditionnel
Aller (to go)
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