The Imperfect Tense of saber is used to describe knowledge or abilities you had in the past, or actions that were ongoing or repeated. For example, Yo sabía la respuesta. (I knew the answer.)

Saber is a regular -er verb, so its conjugations in the Imperfect Tense follow the typical pattern for that verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Saber (to know) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

The imperfect tense of saber is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, as well as descriptions and states of being.

Knowing a fact or information: For example, Yo sabía que era tarde. (I knew it was late.)

Expressing ability or skill: For example, De niño, no sabía nadar. (As a child, I didn’t know how to swim.)

Expressing knowledge of a subject: For example, Ella no sabía mucho sobre política. (She didn’t know much about politics.)

Expressing uncertainty or doubt: For example, No sabía si debía creerle. (I didn’t know if I should believe him.)

Expressing taste or preference: For example, Ese plato no me sabía bien. (I didn’t like the taste of that dish.)

Expressing memory or recollection: For example, Sabía que lo había visto antes. (I remembered having seen him before.)

Expressing a state of mind or emotion: For example, Sabía que estaba enojado. (I knew he was angry.)

Examples

Examples of Saber in the Imperfect Tense

Yo sabía que mi amigo llegaría tarde a la fiesta. (I knew my friend would be late to the party.)

Ellos sabían que el restaurante estaba cerrado los lunes. (They knew the restaurant was closed on Mondays.)

¿Sabías que Juan se iba a mudar el mes pasado? (Did you know Juan was going to move last month?)

Nosotros sabíamos que la película era aburrida, pero fuimos de todos modos. (We knew the movie was boring, but we went anyway.)

Ustedes sabían que el concierto se canceló, ¿verdad? (You guys knew the concert was cancelled, right?)

Ella sabía que su jefe era muy exigente, pero aceptó el trabajo de todos modos. (She knew her boss was very demanding, but she took the job anyway.)

Vosotros sabíais que el museo cerraba temprano los domingos, ¿no? (You guys knew the museum closed early on Sundays, didn’t you?)

Yo sabía que mi hermana estaba embarazada antes de que ella me lo dijera. (I knew my sister was pregnant before she told me.)

Ellas sabían que la fiesta sería un desastre, pero fueron de todas formas. (They knew the party would be a mess, but they went anyway.)

¿Sabías que el equipo de fútbol perdió el partido el fin de semana pasado? (Did you know the soccer team lost the game last weekend?)

Nosotros sabíamos que el vuelo se retrasaría debido a la tormenta. (We knew the flight would be delayed due to the storm.)

Ustedes sabían que la tienda cerraba temprano los viernes, ¿no? (You guys knew the store closed early on Fridays, didn’t you?)

Él sabía que su novia no le gustaba las flores, así que le compró un regalo diferente. (He knew his girlfriend didn’t like flowers, so he bought her a different gift.)

Vosotros sabíais que la reunión se canceló, ¿verdad? (You guys knew the meeting was cancelled, right?)

Ellos sabían que el libro era aburrido, pero lo leyeron de todos modos para la clase. (They knew the book was boring, but they read it anyway for the class.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Saber (to know) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Imperfect tense is also known as the Past Imperfect, Descriptive Past, Past Progressive, or Imperfect Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Imperfecto, Copretérito, Imperfecto de Indicativo, or Pasado Descriptivo in Spanish.