you know

idiom
UK: /juː nəʊ/
US: /juː noʊ/

  1. Used to check if the listener is following or understands what you are saying. It's a way to seek confirmation or agreement.

    1. It was really cold, you know, last night at the stadium. [ ] [ ]
    2. The movie was long, you know, almost three hours, so we left early because you know, we had to get up early the next morning. [ ] [ ]

  2. Used as a filler word when you are thinking about what to say next. It doesn't have a specific meaning but helps to keep the conversation flowing.

    1. I saw, you know, a cat in the garden this morning. [ ] [ ]
    2. The thing is, you know, that I'm not sure if I can come to the party because you know, I may have other plans. [ ] [ ]

  3. Used to refer to something that is assumed to be already known or understood by the listener.

    1. He's, you know, the guy from the office. [ ] [ ]
    2. Remember that restaurant, you know, the one we went to last year for you know, John's birthday? They've closed. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

sort of i mean kind of well like
you know interjection

  1. Used to indicate that the speaker believes the listener already understands or should understand something obvious.

    1. It's late, you know. [ ] [ ]
    2. I mean, you know that getting there on time for the meeting is very important, right? [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "you know" in English means: Used to check if the listener is following or understands what you are saying. It's a way to seek confirmation or agreement., Used as a filler word when you are thinking about what to say next. It doesn't have a specific meaning but helps to keep the conversation flowing., Used to refer to something that is assumed to be already known or understood by the listener..

The phonetic transcription of "you know" is /juː nəʊ/ in British English and /juː noʊ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "you know": sort of, i mean, kind of, well, like.

Example usage of "you know": "It was really cold, you know, last night at the stadium.". More examples on the page.