you know

English

Etymology

First attested as a filled pause in the early 18th century, as a euphemism in the mid-19th century.

Pronunciation

• (UK)
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /juː nəʊ/
  • (Northumbria) IPA^(key): /jɪ naː/, /jə naː/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ju noʊ/

  • Audio (Mid-Atlantic US):

    (file)

Interjection

you know

1. (informal) Expression signifying a pause or hesitation.
   • 2002 December 15, “Interview with David Beckham”, in Breakfast with Frost‎^[1], spoken by David Beckham, via BBC:

     I don’t usually get nervous in games and, you know, taking free kicks and penalties but that’s the first time I’ve been that nervous in, in a game, where I have to, I’m in a situation where I’m, you know […]

   • 2013, Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke, Before Midnight (motion picture), spoken by Jesse (Ethan Hawke):

     Once, I remember, I was watching the twins on a trampoline, you know, and they looked so beautiful, and I was happy because they were happy, you know.

2. (informal) Expression used to imply meaning, rather than say it, such as when a person is embarrassed.

   A: I can’t go to the party because... you know...
   B: Your mom is still mad at you, huh?
   A: Yeah...

3. (informal) Used as a rhetorical question to confirm agreement, knowing or understanding at the end of a statement.

   But I guess that's life, you know?

   I just wasn't into it, you know?

   • 1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 198:

     This was already a fresh departure for me. I was not used to get things that way, you know.

   • 2024 January 29 [2024 January 26], Tim Lee, Ray Chung, quoting Brendan Kavanagh, “London YouTuber hid in van, received death threats after piano face-off”, in Luisetta Mudie, transl., Radio Free Asia‎^[2], archived from the original on 29 January 2024:

     "I heard Winnie the Pooh was like garlic to a vampire to the Chinese commies," he said. "Popular arts and music, poetry, dancing and singing is a threat to those in power, and I'm really trying to bring back that rock-and-roll rebellious spirit into music, you know."

4. (informal) Used to introduce information.

   You know, he's actually pretty nice.

   • 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Engineering, SSV Normandy:

     Tali: You know, there's always a few who go on their Pilgrimages and never return. I always assumed something bad happened to them, but maybe they just wanted a different life.

   • 2016, Voice of America, Learning English‎^[3] (public domain), archived from the original on 25 September 2017:

     Audio (US):

     (file)

     You know, Pete, I am new to D.C. The city is big. — Yeah. But you learn a little more every day.

6. (Singapore, Singlish) Used as a generic, conversational discourse marker, for casual emphasis.

   Synonym: know

   • 2007, Prem Anand, Sebastian Leang, Wu Min Xu, The Noose, season 1, episode 1 (television production), spoken by Sandy C. Shaw (Alaric Tay), via Channel 5 (Mediacorp):

     Huh? Because some idiot left the marker wrongly, I have to live with this bad experience for the rest of my life. Tell you ah, do you know how scary it is anot? It's so scary you know, drifting out there in open waters ah, for one whole day!

7. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see you,‎ know.

Alternative forms

• y'know, yaknow, yunno, yanno (slang, pronunciation spelling)

Synonyms

• (generic fillers): right, like; er, erm, um
• (confirming attention, understanding, and/or agreement): you see, do you know what I'm saying, you know what I'm saying, right, eh, don't you know

Related terms

• if you know what I mean
• if you know, you know
• what do you know
• wouldn't you know it
• you know it
• you-know-what
• you know what
• you know what I mean
• you-know-who
• you never know

Translations

expression signifying a pause or hesitation

• Arabic: يَعْنِي (yaʕnī)
• Catalan: ja saps
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 那个 (zh) (nèige), 那個 / 那个 (zh) (nèige)

• Danish: du ved
• Dutch: weet je, weet je wel
• Esperanto: nu (eo)
• Estonian: aga näe sg
• Finnish: tiedäthän, näes (fi)
• French: tu vois (fr), tu sais
• Georgian: შენც იცი (šenc ici), ხომ იცი, რაც (xom ici, rac)
• German: weißt du
• Irish: bhuel
• Italian: così (it), capisci, cioè (it), tipo (it), sai (it)
• Japanese: あの (ja) (ano), その (ja) (sono), 分かる (ja) (わかる, wakaru)
• Korean: 있잖아 (ko) (itjana), 알아 (ara)
• Polish: wiesz, widzisz, rozumiesz, wie pan, rozumie pan, widzi pan, no (pl), nie (pl), cóż (pl)
• Portuguese: você sabe, sabe (pt)
• Russian: э́то (ru) (éto), ка́к его (kák jevo)
• Scottish Gaelic: fhios a'd, fhios agaibh
• Spanish: pues (es), bueno (es), entonces (es), sabes (es)
• Swedish: du vet
• Turkish: yani (tr)
• Vietnamese: ờ (vi), ừm, ờm
• Welsh: (North) wyddost ti, (South) wyt ti'n gwybod, sti (cy), t’mod, ch’mod, ‘sti

Further reading

• “you know”, in Merriam-Webster.com Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “you know” in Idioms and phrases, TheFreeDictionary.com, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.: Farlex, Inc., 2003–2026.