Know vs. Meet in Portuguese: Saber, Conhecer, or Encontrar — Practice
A guided practice lesson with English explanations, Brazilian Portuguese examples, and answers you can check. Read the examples, recall the meaning, then say a version of your own.
Use saber for facts and skills
Saber means to know information or know how to do something. It is commonly followed by a fact or by an infinitive when describing a skill.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Você sabe onde fica a estação? | Do you know where the station is? |
| Ela sabe cozinhar muito bem. | She knows how to cook very well. |
Use conhecer for familiarity
Conhecer means to know or be familiar with a person, place, or piece of work. Use it when you have experience with the person or place, rather than simply knowing a fact about it.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Conheci o Pedro no trabalho. | I met Pedro at work. |
| Você conhece Salvador? | Do you know Salvador? |
Use encontrar for meeting or finding
Encontrar can mean to meet someone by arrangement or chance, and it can mean to find an object or solution. The context clarifies which meaning is intended.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Vamos nos encontrar na entrada do museu. | Let’s meet at the museum entrance. |
| Encontrei minhas chaves na cozinha. | I found my keys in the kitchen. |
Remember: Use saber for facts or skills, conhecer for familiarity, and encontrar for meeting or finding.
Check your understanding
Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.
Recall the Portuguese, then say it
Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.
Do you know where the station is?
Show a Portuguese answer
Você sabe onde fica a estação?
She knows how to cook very well.
Show a Portuguese answer
Ela sabe cozinhar muito bem.
I met Pedro at work.
Show a Portuguese answer
Conheci o Pedro no trabalho.
Do you know Salvador?
Show a Portuguese answer
Você conhece Salvador?
Let’s meet at the museum entrance.
Show a Portuguese answer
Vamos nos encontrar na entrada do museu.
I found my keys in the kitchen.
Show a Portuguese answer
Encontrei minhas chaves na cozinha.
Make the phrase useful to you
Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.
Use saber for facts or skills, conhecer for familiarity, and encontrar for meeting or finding.
Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.
Sources and your next lesson
This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Know vs. Meet in Portuguese: Saber, Conhecer, or Encontrar? lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.
To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.
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