Voir (to see), savoir, and connaître are three common irregular verbs, and the last two both translate as "to know" in English, which is exactly why they trip people up. French makes a distinction English doesn't.
1. Voir: to see
| Je vois la tour Eiffel. | I see the Eiffel Tower. |
| Tu vois ce que je veux dire ? | Do you see what I mean? |
| Nous voyons un bon film ce soir. | We're seeing a good movie tonight. |
| Ils voient leurs amis le week-end. | They see their friends on weekends. |
2. Savoir vs. connaître: two verbs, one English word
Savoir is for facts, information, and know-how, often followed by a clause or a bare infinitive. Connaître is for being familiar with a person, place, or thing; it always needs a direct object.
| Je sais où il habite. | I know where he lives. (fact) |
| Je sais nager. | I know how to swim. (savoir + infinitive) |
| Je connais Paris. | I know Paris. (familiar with a place) |
| Je connais Marie. | I know Marie. (familiar with a person) |
Common mistake: you can't say "je sais Marie"; connaître is the only option for people, places, and things you're personally familiar with. Savoir works with a clause (je sais que...), a question word (je sais où/quand/pourquoi...), or a bare infinitive (je sais conduire), never with a person as its direct object.
3. Conjugation: present tense
| Pronoun | Voir | Savoir | Connaître |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j' | vois | sais | connais |
| tu | vois | sais | connais |
| il / elle / on | voit | sait | connaît |
| nous | voyons | savons | connaissons |
| vous | voyez | savez | connaissez |
| ils / elles | voient | savent | connaissent |