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“To Know”: Sapere and Conoscere by Ronald Glenn Wrigley, M.A.

Both sapere and conoscere correspond to the verb “to know” in English.

Sapere is irregular in the present tense: <tgroup cols="2"> <colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="center"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="center"/> <tbody> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>io so</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>noi sappiamo</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>tu sai</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>voi sapete</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>lui sa</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>loro sanno</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>lei sa</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>Loro sanno</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Lei sa</emphasis></p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <p><emphasis>Sapere</emphasis> means “to know a fact” or “to know how” to do something:</p> <p><emphasis>Io so che Giovanni è intelligente.</emphasis> <emphasis role="Bolditalic">I know that John is intelligent.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Loro sanno che il museo chiude alle nove.</emphasis> <emphasis role="Bolditalic">They know that the museum closes at nine.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Voi non sapete sciare? È facilissimo!</emphasis> <emphasis role="Bolditalic">You don't know how to ski? It's easy!</emphasis></p> <h2>Exercise 9: Conoscere</h2> <p><emphasis>Conoscere</emphasis> is a regular second conjugation verb. It means “to know or to be familiar with” a person, a place, or a thing, or it can mean “to meet” someone for the first time. Can you conjugate it?</p> <table frame="all" width="100%"> <title/> <tgroup cols="2"> <colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="center"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="center"/> <tbody><tr> <td><p><emphasis>io </emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>noi </emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>tu </emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>voi </emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>lui </emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>loro </emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>lei </emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>Loro </emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Lei </emphasis></p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <h2>Exercise 10: Sapere or Conoscere?</h2> <p>Write the correct form of <emphasis>sapere</emphasis> or <emphasis>conoscere</emphasis>, according to the context of the sentence.</p> <ul> <li><p><emphasis>Giovanni non che io vengo alla festa.</emphasis></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Marcello e Marta bene la città di Boston.</emphasis></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Tu e Maria chi è Marcello Mastroianni?</emphasis></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Sì, noi che è un famoso attore italiano.</emphasis></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Massimo vuole la mia amica.</emphasis></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Tu dov'è il museo?</emphasis></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Io sciare ma non giocare a tennis.</emphasis></p></li> <li><p>8. <emphasis>Lei il ristorante I Tre Colori?</emphasis></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Tutti gli studenti parlare inglese.</emphasis></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Volete quanti anni ha lo zio?</emphasis></p></li> </ul> <!--/gc--> <div id="pagination"><ul><li class="prev"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/italian-practice/second-and-third-conjugation-verbs-and-adverbs/modal-verbs-dovere-potere-and-volere.htm" title="Modal Verbs: Dovere, Potere, and Volere">Modal Verbs: Dovere, Potere, and Volere</a></li><li class="next"><a 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