Savoir (to know) · Imparfait
By TutorLily Editorial Team · Last updated
Savoir in the French imparfait is: je savais, tu savais, il/elle/on savait, nous savions, vous saviez, ils/elles savaient. The imparfait of savoir keeps the static 'to know' meaning: 'je savais déjà la réponse' = 'I already knew the answer'. Regular from 'savons' → 'sav-'.
| To Know | Savoir |
|---|---|
| I used to know | je savais |
| you used to know | tu savais |
| he/she used to know | il/elle/on savait |
| we used to know | nous savions |
| you used to know | vous saviez |
| they used to know | ils/elles savaient |
Savoir (to know) in context
Sentences that use savoir in the imparfait. Tap each to hear it.
I already knew the answer.
You knew how to swim at five.
He knew many things about history.
We knew it was a mistake.
You knew what to do in that situation.
They knew I would come.
Working with the imparfait
The imparfait paints the background of a past scene: weather, age, habits, descriptions, ongoing actions that get interrupted. "Il faisait nuit" (it was nighttime), "j'avais cinq ans" (I was five years old), "je marchais quand tu m'as appelé" (I was walking when you called me). The imparfait is almost completely regular — the stem comes from the nous form of the present (nous parlons → je parlais), with only être being truly irregular (j'étais). The contrast with passé composé is the single most important past-tense distinction in French: imparfait = background or habitual; passé composé = completed event.
Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate savoir in the imparfait?
When do I use 'je savais' instead of 'j'ai su'?
Is savoir's imparfait ever irregular?
Practice Savoir (To Know) in real conversations
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