Verb + infinitive, no preposition
savoir
no preposition
The constructions
no prepositionsavoir + infinitif
Meaning : to know how to
Elle sait nager.
Do not writeElle sait à nager.
no prepositionsavoir quelque chose
Meaning : to know something
Je sais la réponse.
Why
Savoir followed by an infinitive states an acquired skill: savoir nager, savoir lire. No preposition. English « know how to » has no counterpart: the « how » disappears.
The trap for a Chinese speaker
會 (會游泳) is savoir + infinitive, directly. Pouvoir states possibility, savoir states skill: elle sait nager but ne peut pas nager today.
Read the full lesson : Prepositions: place, time, and verb + à, de or infinitive →