ya lo sé
/ʝa lo se/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "I know that's right" is ya lo sé.
This phrase is used to confirm that the speaker is already aware of a piece of information.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʝa lo se/
Did you know?
- If you use ya lo sé with a sharp, rising intonation, it can sound dismissive or even rude, as if you are telling someone to 'stop telling me things I already know'.
- The word ya is a distant relative of the French word déjà in the common phrase 'déjà vu'. Both words evolved from the same Latin root meaning 'already'.
- The word sé is an accented form of the verb 'to know'. Without the accent, se is a reflexive pronoun used to indicate an action reflects back on the speaker.
Examples in context
- ¡Claro que sé que tienes razón! No deberíamos esperar más para comenzar el proyecto.Of course, I know you're right! We shouldn't wait any longer to start the project.
- Ya lo sé, gracias por avisarme.I know that already, thanks for letting me know.
- No te preocupes, ya lo sé.Don't worry, I know that already.
- Ya lo sé, pero no es tan fácil.I know that already, but it is not that easy.
Example conversation
Javier and María are discussing the weather forecast.
- JavierVa a llover mañana, Javier.It is going to rain tomorrow, Javier.
- MaríaYa lo sé, vi las noticias.I know that, I saw the news.
- JavierEntonces no olvides el paraguas.Then don't forget the umbrella.
- MaríaNo te preocupes, María, lo llevaré.Don't worry, María, I will take it.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lo, sé, ya, CC BY-SA 4.0.
