Learning Spanish One Verb at a Time. To Know - Saber. Past & Imperfect Subjunctive.

 

Learning Spanish

One Verb at a Time

Saber - to Know

Simple & Imperfect Past + Imperfect Subjunctive.

Simple Past: A past understood as complete

I didn't know the correct answer to the test. No supe la respuesta correcta del examen.

She knew the truth from the beginning. Ella supo la verdad desde el principio.(she found out when she started, but she didn't know about it before)

We knew it was a trap when we saw the offer. Nosotros supimos que era una trampa cuando vimos la oferta.(We found out by seeing the offer)

They knew how to get to the top of the mountain. Ellos supieron cómo llegar a la cima de la montaña.

You knew what you had to do. Ustedes supieron lo que tenían que hacer.

I didn’t know how to tell him. Yo no supe cómo decírselo.(it refers only to the moment when they were talking, he only thought about it on that moment)

Who heard the news first? ¿Quién supo la noticia primero?

They were able to defend themselves very well. Ellas supieron defenderse muy bien.

The children knew it was a gift for them. Los niños supieron que era un regalo para ellos.

Did you know where you stood? ¿Supiste dónde estabas parado?

The girls knew how to have fun without it. Las chicas supieron cómo divertirse sin él.(They found the way to do it)

Imperfect Past: 

Indefinite start and end, an Ongoing Past

I knew it was going to rain, so I brought an umbrella. Yo sabía que iba a llover, por eso llevé un paraguas.

she knew the truth all along. Ella sabía la verdad desde el principio. (she knew the truth before the event even began.)

we already knew it was a setup when we saw the offer. Nosotros ya sabíamos que era una trampa cuando vimos la oferta. (we already knew it, we had heard it before)

they always knew how to make me laugh. Ellos siempre sabían cómo hacerme reír.

Did you know the password? ¿Tú sabías la contraseña?

 

You knew the rules of the game. Ustedes sabían las reglas del juego.

I didn't know how to cook that dish. Yo no sabía cómo cocinar ese plato.

Who knew the truth about what happened? ¿Quién sabía la verdad sobre lo que pasó?

They knew how to take care of themselves. Ellas sabían cuidarse muy bien.

The children knew it was time for bed. Los niños sabían que era hora de dormir.

Did you know that excellent wines are made in chile? ¿Sabías que en Chile se hacen excelentes vinos?

Imperfect subjunctive: Hypothetical Present, Past

 It was important that the truth be known. Era importante que se supiera la verdad.

I doubted she knew what she was doing. Dudaba que ella supiera lo que estaba haciendo.

I hoped we knew how to make the best choice. Esperaba que nosotros supiéramos elegir la mejor opción.

I wasn't sure they knew the answer. No estaba seguro de que ellos supieran la respuesta.

Was it necessary for you to know all the details? ¿Era necesario que tú supieras todos los detalles?

It was essential that you knew how to act in this situation. Era fundamental que ustedes supieran cómo actuar en esta situación.

I didn't think I knew how to fix it. No creía que yo supiera cómo solucionarlo.

It was possible that he knew where to find the money. Era posible que él supiera dónde encontrar el dinero.

It was important that they knew how to defend themselves. Era importante que ellas supieran defenderse.

Was it necessary for you to know my password? ¿Era necesario que tú supieras mi contraseña?

It was important for the girls to know that they were worth a lot. Era importante que las chicas supieran que valen mucho.

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