Portugalskie trudne czasowniki: Saber vs Conseguir vs Poder vs Conhecer

Many learners of Portuguese who rely on English as a reference point struggle with these verbs: Saber, Conseguir, Poder, I Conhecer. Why? Because a single English verb, “can,” can have any of the abovementioned Portuguese counterparts depending on the context. Similarly, “know” in English might translate to either Saber or Conhecer in Portuguese.

In other words, Portuguese has more nuanced verbs for these concepts than English, making them trickier to master. But fear not! This guide will provide contextual clues to help you choose the right verb.

Keep in mind that these distinctions can be subtle, and sometimes these verbs are even interchangeable. This explanation simplifies what can be more complex usage patterns.

To make things clear and easy to follow, we’ll use a single conversation to illustrate these verb differences. Let’s dive in!

Related Video Lessons

Saber vs. Conseguir vs. Poder / Can po angielsku

Kiedy w języku angielskim używamy Can, po portugalsku mogłoby to być jedno i drugie Saber, Conseguir or Poder.

Saber – Umiejętności i know-how

Używamy Saber mówiąc ogólnie o umiejętnościach:

Joel: Sabes tocar guitarra?
Tiago: Sim, sei (tocar guitarra).
Joel: Can you play guitar? (Do you know how to play guitar?)
Tiago: Yeah, I can play guitar. (Yeah, I know how to play guitar.)

To prawda, że najczęściej w tego rodzaju sytuacjach pomijamy naszego pomocnika Saber:

Joel: Tocas guitarra? 
Tiago:  Sim, toco (guitarra). 
Joel: Do you play guitar?
Tiago: Yes, I do.

Conseguir - Osiągnięcie