How to Say "You Know" in Chinese

那个

nèige

In Chinese, the phrase "you know" can be expressed as 那个 (nèige). Wiktionary also lists 那個 / 那个 (nèige).

Meaning: expression signifying a pause or hesitation (intj)

Ways to say it

“you know” in Chinese
Chinese	Romanization (Wiktionary)
那个	nèige
那個 / 那个	nèige

When used during a pause in conversation, 那个 functions as a filler word similar to the English "uh", "um" or the hesitant "you know".

While it can be used as a filler, 那个 is also the standard way to say "that one" when pointing to a specific object or person.

nèige

In some contexts, 那个 is used as a 'placeholder' word to refer to something that both the speaker and listener know about but do not want to name explicitly in public.
While the word is written as 那个, speakers in northern China and Beijing often pronounce it as nèige, changing the sound of the first character to fit the local dialect.
The usage of 那个 as a filler is so common that it can be used to soften the impact of a request or a criticism, making the speaker sound less aggressive.

你认识那个美女吗？
Do you know that nice-looking girl?
This sentence shows how to use 那个 to refer to a person.
Tatoeba #612711 by U2FS, translation #68707 by CK
那个看着你的男人，你认识吗?
That man who is looking at you, do you know him?
This sentence uses 那个 to refer to a man looking at someone.
Tatoeba #405743 by fucongcong, translation #1102858 by ScarsAndStripes
我们之后要去一家新开的餐厅，你知道的吧？
We're going to a newly opened restaurant later, you know, right?
那个，我想问一下。
nàge, wǒ xiǎng wèn yīxià.
Um, I want to ask something.

Zhiqiang is trying to explain a problem to Jiayi.

志强 Zhiqiang

那个，电脑好像坏了。
nàge, diànnǎo hǎoxiàng huàile.
Um, the computer seems to be broken.
佳怡 Jiayi

你刚才是在说什么？
nǐ gāngcái shì zài shuō shénme?
What were you just saying?
志强 Zhiqiang

那个，它打不开了。
nàge, tā dǎ bù kāile.
Well, you know, it won't turn on.
佳怡 Jiayi

我明白你的意思了。
wǒ míngbái nǐ de yìsi le.
I understand what you mean.

Sources

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