alam ko na
/ʔaˈlam ko na/word by word
The English phrase "I know" is expressed in Tagalog as alam ko na.
alam ko na is used to assert that the speaker has an answer, an idea or has already been informed about a specific piece of news or a situation.
Meaning: assertion that speaker has answer or idea (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase breaks down into alam (know), ko (I/me) and na (already/now).
Which one should you use?
While alam ko na often implies that you already know something, the shorter form alam ko is used to state a simple "I know" regarding a fact or information. Note that alam ko is used for knowing facts, whereas kilala ko is used when you mean you know a person.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you drop the na from the phrase, the meaning changes from "I already know" to a simple "I know".
How do you pronounce it?
/ʔaˈlam ko na/
Did you know?
- Some linguists suggest alam might be related to the Malay word for 'nature' or 'world', which itself comes from the Arabic word for 'universe'.
Examples in context
- Alam ko na may tinatago siya.I know she's hiding something.This sentence is useful for expressing that you are aware of someone hiding something using alam ko na.Tatoeba #13697184 by kangkong, translation #5487685 by Hybrid
- Alam ko na karpintero si Tom.I know Tom is a carpenter.This sentence is useful for expressing that you are aware of Tom's profession using alam ko na.Tatoeba #13804694 by kangkong, translation #7521519 by CK
- Alam ko na mahirap iyan gawin.I know that that'll be difficult to do.This sentence is useful for expressing that you are aware of the difficulty of a task using alam ko na.Tatoeba #8665861 by artemio, translation #7240055 by CK
- Oo, alam ko na may party. Excited na ako!Yes, I know there's a party. I'm excited!
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Juan and Maria are discussing a task at home.
- JuanMaria, kailangan pa bang ituro ito?Maria, do I still need to teach this?
- MariaAlam ko na ang gagawin, Juan.I know what to do already, Juan.
- JuanSigurado ka ba?Are you sure?
- MariaOo, alam ko na.Yes, I know.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I know” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (alam, ko, na) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries alam, ko, na, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
