Judgment and Know-How With savoir
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3 de novembro de 2026
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At B2 level, savoir goes far beyond knowing facts or skills like swimming or driving. In everyday French, it is used in fixed expressions about practical judgment, reading a situation and handling people with tact.
- Sizing up a situation: expressions like savoir à quoi s'en tenir, savoir où on met les pieds and savoir à qui on a affaire.
- Built-in quality: with verbs like s'y prendre, s'entourer, écouter or se tenir, adding savoir already means doing it well, without needing bien.
- Action in the past: in the passé composé (elle a su rebondir), savoir shows that someone had the resourcefulness to react at the right moment.
Cartões Voca
1.
savoir de quoi on parle
to know what one is talking about
Écoute ses conseils sur le marché immobilier, elle y travaille depuis dix ans et elle sait de quoi e
Listen to her advice on the real estate market; she's been working in it for ten years and knows wha
2.
savoir ce qu'on veut
to know what one wants, to know one's own mind
Léa a négocié son contrat sans hésiter une seconde, elle sait vraiment ce qu'elle veut.
Léa negotiated her contract without a second's hesitation; she really knows what she wants.
Used as a character trait for someone decisive and determined, not just having a preference in the moment.
3.
savoir où on va
to know where one is going, to have a clear direction
Avec tous ces changements de stratégie, l'équipe a l'impression que la direction ne sait plus où ell
With all these strategy changes, the team feels like management doesn't know where it's going anymor
Figurative: having a clear direction or plan for the future.
4.
savoir où on met les pieds
to know what one is getting into, to know the lay of the land
J'ai posé pas mal de questions pendant l'entretien d'embauche pour savoir où je mettais les pieds.
I asked quite a few questions during the job interview so I'd know what I was getting into.
Informal. Used when entering a new environment or committing to something risky.
5.
savoir à qui on a affaire
to know who one is dealing with
Renseigne-toi sur ce propriétaire avant de signer le bail, il vaut mieux savoir à qui on a affaire.
Find out about this landlord before signing the lease; it's better to know who you're dealing with.
Often implies caution because the other person may be difficult, demanding or untrustworthy.
6.
savoir à quoi s'attendre
to know what to expect
Le professeur nous a prévenus que l'examen serait long, au moins on sait à quoi s'attendre.
The professor warned us that the exam would be long, so at least we know what to expect.
7.
savoir à quoi s'en tenir
to know where one stands, to know what to expect
Dis-moi franchement si ma candidature a une chance, je préfère savoir à quoi m'en tenir.
Tell me honestly if my application has a chance; I'd rather know where I stand.
Unlike 'savoir à quoi s'attendre', this means getting a clear answer after uncertainty so you know where you stand.
8.
savoir ce qu'il en est
to know what the situation is, to know what is really going on
On entend beaucoup de rumeurs sur la fermeture du site, mais personne ne sait vraiment ce qu'il en e
We're hearing a lot of rumors about the site closing, but no one really knows what's going on.
Means knowing the true state of affairs behind rumours or vague information.
9.
savoir sur quel pied danser
to know where one stands, to know how to take someone
Il change d'humeur d'un jour à l'autre, on ne sait jamais sur quel pied danser avec lui.
His mood changes from one day to the next; you never know where you stand with him.
Almost always used in the negative ('ne pas savoir sur quel pied danser') about dealing with someone unpredictable.
10.
savoir s'y prendre
to know how to go about it, to know how to handle things
Maxime est très doué avec les enfants turbulents, il sait vraiment s'y prendre.
Maxime is really good with rowdy kids; he really knows how to handle them.
With 'savoir', 's'y prendre' means knowing how to go about things well without needing 'bien'.
11.
savoir y faire
to have the knack, to know how to handle things
Pour obtenir une remise chez un fournisseur, demande à Nadia, elle sait y faire.
If you want to get a discount from a supplier, ask Nadia—she really has the knack.
More informal than 'savoir s'y prendre', and only used with 'savoir'. It highlights a natural knack or charm with people.
12.
savoir s'entourer
to know how to surround oneself with the right people
Il ne maîtrise pas tous les aspects techniques du métier, mais il a toujours su s'entourer.
He isn't an expert on every technical aspect of the job, but he's always known how to surround himse
With 'savoir', 's'entourer' means surrounding yourself with capable, reliable people, even without 'bien'.
13.
savoir rebondir
to be able to bounce back, to know how to bounce back
Après l'échec de son premier projet, elle a su rebondir très vite en se tournant vers un autre secte
After her first project failed, she was able to bounce back very quickly by pivoting to another sect
In the past tense, 'a su' means managed to or had the resourcefulness to do something at the right moment.
14.
savoir écouter
to be a good listener, to know how to listen
Ce qui fait de lui un excellent responsable d'équipe, c'est avant tout qu'il sait écouter.
What makes him a great team leader is, above all, that he's a good listener.
The natural French way to say someone is a good listener.
15.
savoir dire non
to know how to say no, to be able to say no
Si tu acceptes tous les dossiers urgents, tu vas t'épuiser ; au travail, il faut savoir dire non.
If you take on every urgent file, you're going to burn out; at work, you have to know how to say no.
16.
savoir se taire
to know when to keep quiet, to know how to hold one's tongue
Quand la discussion s'envenime à table, il faut parfois savoir se taire.
When the conversation gets heated at the dinner table, sometimes you have to know when to keep quiet
Means having the tact or judgment to stay quiet at the right moment.
17.
savoir se tenir
to know how to behave, to mind one's manners
C'est un dîner officiel avec des clients étrangers, j'espère que tout le monde saura se tenir.
It's a formal dinner with foreign clients, so I hope everyone will know how to behave.
Means behaving properly in public or in company, without needing 'bien'.
18.
savoir vivre
to have good manners, to know how to behave in society
Il coupe la parole à tout le monde et ne remercie jamais, il ne sait vraiment pas vivre.
He interrupts everyone and never says thank you; he really has no manners.
Often used in the negative to criticise rude behaviour; it gives the noun 'le savoir-vivre' (good manners).
19.
savoir rester à sa place
to know one's place, to know not to overstep
En tant que consultant externe, je donne mon avis sur le projet mais je sais rester à ma place.
As an outside consultant, I give my opinion on the project, but I know not to overstep.
Can mean showing professional tact by not overstepping, or more harshly, knowing one's rank.
20.
savoir faire la part des choses
to keep things in perspective, to separate things
Même quand une réunion est tendue, elle sait faire la part des choses et ne prend rien personnelleme
Even when a meeting gets tense, she knows how to keep things in perspective and doesn't take anythin
Means separating emotion from fact, or keeping two sides of an issue distinct.
21.
savoir reconnaître ses limites
to know one's limits, to recognize one's limitations
Plutôt que de bâcler ce dossier juridique, j'ai préféré passer la main ; il faut savoir reconnaître
Rather than botch this legal case, I preferred to hand it off; you have to know your limits.
22.
savoir raison garder
to keep a sense of proportion, to stay reasonable
Ce retard de livraison est gênant, bien sûr, mais sachons raison garder, ce n'est pas une catastroph
This delivery delay is annoying, of course, but let's keep a sense of proportion—it's not a disaster
A slightly formal fixed expression where 'raison' stays before 'garder'; often used as 'il faut savoir raison garder' or 'sachons raison garder'.