Know vs. Meet in Portuguese: Saber, Conhecer, or Encontrar?
Saber is knowing a fact or how to do something; conhecer is being familiar with a person or place; encontrar is meeting or finding.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
The short answer
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.
Use saber for facts and skills
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.
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.
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.
Put it into practice
Use saber for facts or skills, conhecer for familiarity, and encontrar for meeting or finding.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “Do you know where the station is”?
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