知っていましたか？
shitte imashita ka?
The English phrase "did you know?" can be translated into Japanese as 知っていましたか？ (shitte imashita ka?)
This phrase is used to ask if someone was already aware of a specific piece of information.
Which one should you use?
It is important not to confuse 知っていましたか？ (did you already know?) with 知りましたか？, which means "did you learn/find out?"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For casual conversations, you can use the informal 知ってる？ or the shortened form 知ってた？ If you are speaking to a customer or someone of higher status, such as a superior or a teacher, use the honorific form ご存知ですか？ or its past tense version ご存じでしたか？
How do you pronounce it?
shitte imashita ka?
What mistakes should you avoid?
When answering that you did not know something, do not use the negative of the continuous form. Instead, use いいえ、知りませんでした。
When do people say it?
To respond to this question, you can say はい、知っていました。 to mean "Yes, I knew that." or いいえ、知りませんでした。 to mean "No, I didn't know that."
Did you know?
- When someone tells you something surprising, Japanese speakers often reflexively say 知らなかった！ (I didn't know!) even if they had a vague idea, to show empathy and interest.
- The word 知る is closely related to the kanji for 'wisdom' 知恵 and 'knowledge' 知識, sharing the same radical that represents a hand and a mouth.
- While English speakers often say 'I know' to agree with a point, using 知っている in Japanese can sound like you are correcting the speaker or boasting about your knowledge.
Examples in context
- 田中さん、ご存知ですか？日本の桜は世界的に有名ですよ。Tanaka-san, did you know? Japanese cherry blossoms are famous worldwide!
- え、知ってた？彼は実は一流のピアニストなんだよ。Oh, did you know? He's actually a top-notch pianist!
- 知ってる？これが最新のアプリだよ。Did you know? This is the latest app!
- 彼女が結婚したことを、知っていましたか？Kanojo ga kekkon shita koto o, shitte imashita ka?Did you know that she got married?
Example conversation
Yota and Yui are talking about a new cafe in town.
- 陽太 Yotaここ、実はカフェだったと知っていましたか？Koko, jitsu wa kafe datta to shitte imashita ka?Did you know that this place was actually a cafe?
- 結衣 Yuiいいえ、全然知りませんでした。Iie, zenzen shiri masen deshita.No, I didn't know at all.
- 陽太 Yotaとてもおいしいコーヒーを出すそうですよ。Totemo oishii koohii o dasu sou desu yo.I heard they serve very delicious coffee.
- 結衣 Yuiそれはいいですね。行きましょう！Sore wa ii desu ne. Ikimashou!That sounds great. Let's go!
