je ne savais

I didn't know

→ je

phrase Rare #31,391

I didn't know Imperfect tense of savoir, used for an ongoing or habitual lack of knowledge in the past. It can be followed by an infinitive to mean “I didn't know how to,” as in je ne savais pas lire (“I didn't know how to read”).

FR: À cette époque, je ne savais pas encore cuisiner.

EN: At that time, I didn't know how to cook yet.

Je ne savais pas très bien nager.

I wasn't very good at swimming.

Quand j'avais cinq ans, je ne savais pas lire.

When I was five years old, I couldn’t read.

Je ne savais quoi dire devant une si belle fille.

I didn't know what to say in front of such a beautiful girl.

— Mon cœur est déjà pris (1999)

Je ne savais plus quoi faire.

I didn't know what to do anymore.

— Infernal Affairs (2002)

Il y a trois mois, je ne savais même pas dire un mot de français.

Three months ago, I didn’t even know how to say a single word in French.

Je ne savais plus quoi faire !

I didn't know what to do anymore!

— Les Invasions barbares (2003)

Les premiers millénaires, je ne savais où donner de la tête.

For the first few millennia, I didn't know where to turn.

— The Man from Earth (2007)

Il n'y a pas si longtemps, je ne savais pas du tout jouer de la guitare.

Not so long ago, I had no idea how to play the guitar at all.

Je ne savais utiliser que la première forme.

I only knew how to use the first form.

— Demon Slayer : Kimetsu no Yaiba - Le film : La Forteresse infinie (2025)