sabéisvssabíasWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“sabéis” and “sabías” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#6,232
“sabéis” frequency rank
#5,347
“sabías” frequency rank
11579
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature sabéis sabías
Definition Segunda persona del plural (vosotros, vosotras) del presente de indicativo de saber. Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de saber.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set sabéis and sabías apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
sabéis
6 ch
sabías

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. sabéis ([saˈβ̞ejs]) and sabías ([saˈβ̞ias]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 11579, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

sabéis is recorded at frequency rank #6,232, classified as averb, pronounced [saˈβ̞ejs]. sabías is at rank #5,347, tagged as averb, pronounced [saˈβ̞ias].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 11579, this pair ranks #294,610 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of sabéis vs sabías

Shared letters: abs. Private to "sabéis": . Private to "sabías": í.

"sabéis" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC  ·  "sabías" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC

Frequency comparison

sabéis#6,232
sabías#5,347

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "sabéis" and "sabías" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([saˈβ̞ejs] versus [saˈβ̞ias]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "sabéis" or "sabías"?
"sabías" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,347 in our Spanish list, against #6,232 for "sabéis". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering sabéis vs sabías

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “sabéis” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list