ya lo sabes
/ʝa lo sabes/from spelling rules
The English phrase "you already know" is translated into Spanish as ya lo sabes.
This phrase is used to tell someone that they are already aware of a particular piece of information. While English speakers can simply say "you already know", Spanish requires the use of the pronoun lo (it/that) to refer back to the information being discussed.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ya (already), lo (it/that) and sabes (you know).
Which one should you use?
The inclusion of lo is a key difference from English.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use the formal "you" (usted), change sabes to sabe to form ya lo sabe.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʝa lo sabes/
When do people say it?
Another way to express being aware of something is usted ya está al tanto, which translates to "you are already aware".
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, ya is used as a filler word to signal that the listener is following the conversation, similar to how an English speaker might say 'uh-huh' or 'I see'.
- The phrase ya lo sabes can be used ironically in Spanish to imply that the listener is stubbornly ignoring a truth they are well aware of.
- The word ya shares the same Latin ancestor, iam, as the French word déjà and the Italian word già.
Examples in context
- Ya lo sabes, ¿verdad?You already know that, right?This sentence is useful for confirming that the listener is already aware of the information using ya lo sabes.Tatoeba #4558143 by Shishir, translation #3410752 by CK
- Tom me odia, ya lo sabes.Tom hates me, you already know.This sentence shows how to state a fact by adding ya lo sabes at the end.Tatoeba #2733962 by Shishir, translation #10551372 by DJ_Saidez
- Estimado señor García, usted ya sabe los procedimientos a seguir.Dear Mr. García, you already know the procedures to follow.
- Doctora, usted ya está al tanto de la situación clínica del paciente.Doctor, you are already aware of the patient's clinical condition.
- Oye Pedro, ya sabes que vamos a salir esta noche, ¿verdad?Hey Pedro, you already know we're going out tonight, right?
- No hace falta explicarte nada, ya lo sabes.There is no need to explain anything to you, you already know.
Example conversation
Daniel is telling Elena that the store is closed.
- Daniel¿Sabes que la tienda cierra temprano?Do you know the store closes early?
- ElenaNo, ¿por qué?No, why?
- DanielEs por la reforma, ya lo sabes.It's because of the renovation, you already know.
- ElenaAh, es verdad, se me olvidó.Ah, that's true, I forgot.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lo, ya, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
