Preterite of Saber:

In English, we use different words like "found out" or "discovered." In Spanish, we just change the tense of saber. When you use the preterite, you mark a beginning. It is the exact moment information entered your brain. If you say Yo sabía, you are saying you already knew. If you say Yo supe, you are saying you just found out. It is a transition from ignorance to knowledge. This shift is common with "stative" verbs in Spanish. These are verbs that usually describe states of being. When put into the preterite, they become events. It is a very efficient way to speak. You save words by just changing the verb ending. It feels modern and punchy once you get the hang of it.

1. 1Saber is an irregular verb in the preterite tense. It does not follow the standard -er verb patterns. You cannot just drop the ending and add -í. Instead, it uses a special "u-stem" for all forms. Follow these steps to build it correctly:
2. 2Start with the irregular stem sup-.
3. 3Add the special irregular preterite endings.
4. 4Do not add any accent marks to these endings.
5. 5Combine them: supe, supiste, supo, supimos, supisteis, supieron.
6. 6Notice that the endings are a mix of -ar and -er styles. This is typical for irregular "u-stem" verbs like tener or poder. It might feel weird at first to lose the "a" from saber. Just remember that the "u" is your signal for discovery. If you see a "u" in saber, something was discovered.

Use the preterite of saber for specific discoveries. Use it when you hear a piece of news. Use it when you find out a secret. It works great for job interviews too. You might say you "found out" about the position. It is perfect for asking directions. "When did you find out the road was closed?" Use it when you learn a result or a grade. If you check your phone and see a text, you supiste the news. It is about the "click" in your mind. Imagine you are ordering food at a restaurant. The waiter says they are out of lobster. In that moment, you supiste the truth about the menu. It is an event, not a long-lasting state. It happened at 7:02 PM on Tuesday. That is the essence of the preterite.

Do not use the preterite if you are describing a state. If you knew someone's name for years, use the imperfect. Sabía su nombre means you already had that info. Use the imperfect for background information in a story. If you are describing your childhood knowledge, avoid the preterite. Supe is too sudden for a long-term memory. Don't use it for skills like speaking a language. You didn't "find out" how to speak Spanish in one second. You "knew" how to do it over time. Also, don't use it for people. To know a person is conocer, not saber. Mixing those up is a classic rookie mistake. Keep saber for facts, data, and how-to information. Keep the preterite for the exact moment that info arrived.

The most common mistake is trying to make it regular. Your brain will want to say sabí or sabiste. Resist that urge! Those forms do not exist in Spanish. Another mistake is adding accents where they don't belong. Irregular preterites like supe and supo never have accents. People also confuse supe with sabía constantly. Remember: supe is the "discovery," sabía is the "background." If you say supe la respuesta, you found it out. If you say sabía la respuesta, you were already smart. Don't use saber for meeting people either. If you met someone, use conocí. If you found out their name, use supe. It is a subtle but important distinction for sounding natural.

Let's compare saber with conocer in the preterite. Supe means "I found out a fact." Conocí means "I met a person" or "I visited a place." They both shift meaning in the preterite. Now, compare supe with aprendí. Aprendí means you learned a skill through study. Supe means you suddenly became aware of a fact. You aprendiste guitar, but you supiste the concert was canceled. Also, look at enterarse. This is a synonym for supe. Me enteré and supe are almost identical in meaning. Enterarse is slightly more common in casual conversation. However, supe is shorter and very common in writing. Both are great tools for your linguistic belt.