savoir vs retenir
French word comparison
Listen to savoir
Listen to retenir
| savoir | retenir |
|---|---|
/sa-VWAHR/ verb | /[ʁə.tə.niʁ]/ verb |
| to know; to know how to do something | to retain; to remember; to keep in mind |
How they differ
Retenir is about keeping information in memory, not about knowing it in the broader sense. Savoir is the result: if you have retained the information, you may savoir it; retenir focuses on the act of remembering or holding onto it.
When to use each
When to use savoir: Prefer savoir when you want to say that you know a fact right now.
When to use retenir: Prefer retenir when you mean you can remember or keep something in mind, especially details, names, or information.
Side-by-side examples
- Je sais son adresse.
(I know his address.) - Je retiens facilement les noms.
(I remember names easily.)
Register & nuance: Retenir is neutral and slightly more literary or deliberate when used for memory, but it is not a direct one-to-one substitute for savoir.
- See the full Word of the Day entry for savoir
- See the Word of the Day entry for retenir
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