Et elle sait chanter? Why not "Et elle peut chanter"?

Gilberts I.B2Kwiziq community member

Et elle sait chanter? Why not "Et elle peut chanter"?

The English sentence says "She can sing", not "She knows how to sing". I know how to sing but I can't sing because my voice is terrible. Can all French people (or Quebecoise) who know how to sing, actually sing???

Asked 2 years ago
CécileKwiziq team memberCorrect answer

Hi Gilberts, 

You will use 'savoir + infinitif ' as you say, to convey that you know how to do something -

Je sais jouer aux échecs I know how to play chess

Je sais parler espagnol I can speak Spanish 

etc.

'Elle sait chanter' in this context is something like -

Golly, can she sing!

We could have said 

elle chante bien 

or the opposite 

elle chante faux / elle chante comme une casserole 

Hope this helps!

Et elle sait chanter? Why not "Et elle peut chanter"?

The English sentence says "She can sing", not "She knows how to sing". I know how to sing but I can't sing because my voice is terrible. Can all French people (or Quebecoise) who know how to sing, actually sing???

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