When is a fact not a fact

Question

If someone knows when a shop is open, which is a fact, why is savoir used instead of connaître?

Accepted Answer

Bonjour Chris !
Very good question, thank you very much !
The lesson needed to be clearer on which structures are used with either verb.
Savoir is usually followed by a clause with a conjugated verb (know where he goes, what I'm doing ...) or an infinitive (know [how] to do something):-> Ils savent à quelle heure le magasin ferme.   (They know at what time the shop closes.)
Connaître is followed by a noun (know <something>):-> Ils connaissent l'horaire de fermeture du magasin.  (They know the shop closing time.)
These precisions have been added to the main lesson.
Merci et à bientôt !

Answer

I find it easier to think of connaître as "to be familiar with".

When you're unsure about whether to use connaître try to replace the words "to know" with "to be familiar with". In the case of the shop being open, it becomes clear that you have to use savoir.

Answer

Savoir is used because it is followed by a clause:. quand le magasin est ouvert, and not by a noun.