¿cómo lo sabes?
/ˈkomo lo ˈsabes/word by word
The English phrase "how do you know" is translated into Spanish as ¿cómo lo sabes?
This phrase is a question used to ask someone for the source of their information. It uses the present indicative tense to ask about current knowledge.
Which one should you use?
While English speakers often omit the word "it" in the question "How do you know?", in Spanish, the use of lo (it) is necessary to provide a direct object for the verb saber.
How does it change in a sentence?
The subject of the question can change based on whom you are addressing. Using ¿cómo lo sabe? changes the subject from the informal tú to the formal usted. If you are asking a group of people how they know something, use the plural form ¿cómo lo saben?
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkomo lo ˈsabes/
Did you know?
- Depending on the country, such as Mexico or Spain, the tone of ¿cómo lo sabes? can shift from genuine curiosity to an accusatory 'How could you possibly know that?', depending entirely on the stress placed on the verb.
- The pronoun lo in this phrase evolved from the Latin 'illud', a neuter word used to refer to abstract concepts or things that do not have a specific gender.
- In Spanish, there is a sharp distinction between saber and conocer. While ¿cómo lo sabes? asks for the source of a fact, using conocer would imply you are asking how someone became acquainted with a person or a place.
Examples in context
- ¿Cómo lo sabes?How do you know?This is a direct translation of the phrase using ¿cómo lo sabes?Tatoeba #730325 by Shishir, translation #454417 by CM
- Pero ¿cómo lo sabes?But how do you know that?This example shows the phrase used after the word "but" using ¿cómo lo sabes?Tatoeba #13824270 by rul, translation #13289380 by rul
- Perdone, señor. ¿Cómo lo sabe usted?Excuse me, sir. How do you know it?
- Disculpe, señora. ¿Cómo tiene conocimiento de eso?Excuse me, ma'am. How do you have knowledge of that?
- Oye, Juan. ¿Cómo sabes eso?Hey, Juan. How do you know that?
- ¡Hola, María! ¿Cómo te enteraste de eso?Hi, María! How did you find out about that?
Example conversation
Maria and Javier are talking about a surprise party.
- MaríaMañana es la fiesta de Ana.Tomorrow is Ana's party.
- Javier¿Cómo lo sabes?How do you know?
- MaríaElla me lo dijo ayer.She told me yesterday.
- JavierEntonces es un secreto.Then it is a secret.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (cómo, lo, sabes) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cómo, lo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
