PrepMyFrench
PrepMyFrench
Conjugation directory
Connaître is the companion of savoir. It is the verb for familiarity, acquaintance, and knowing a person, place, or thing through experience.
Use it when you know a person, a city, a book, or anything familiar rather than factual knowledge.
Je connais bien cette ville.
I know this city well.
Use savoir for facts and information, but connaître for people, places, and familiarity.
Use the table above and the related links below to pin the pattern down before you move on to other verbs.
Start with the present tense, then the passé composé. Those two forms carry most everyday conversation and make the rest of the table easier to recognise.
Connaître typically uses avoir in compound tenses. Check the table above and keep the past participle in view when you move into compound forms.
Use the related links below and then open the interactive conjugator to compare this verb with others you use often.