tu sais
/ty sɛ/
The English phrase "you know" can be translated into French as tu sais or tu vois.
Meaning: expression signifying a pause or hesitation (intj)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| tu sais | /ty sɛ/ |
| tu vois |
In French, these expressions often serve as fillers to signify a pause or a moment of hesitation during speech. While tu sais literally translates to "you know", the phrase tu vois is frequently used interchangeably to mean "you see" or "you know".
Which one should you use?
While tu sais literally means "you know", the phrase tu vois is often used interchangeably as a filler expression meaning "you see" or "you know".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, the informal expression tu sais-tu is used to mean "you know".
How does it change in a sentence?
When speaking to a group of people or using the formal vous register, the filler expression changes to vous savez or vous voyez.
How do you pronounce it?
/ty sɛ/
Did you know?
- The word tu shares its ancient Indo-European roots with the English 'thou', making the French way of saying 'you know' a distant relative of archaic English.
- If you use the formal vous savez as a filler in a casual setting with friends, you may unintentionally create an ironic or sarcastic distance, as if you are treating them like strangers.
- In Quebec, the filler tu sais-tu is a linguistic curiosity where the pronoun tu is added to the end of a phrase to act as an interrogative particle, effectively turning the phrase into a question like 'do you know?'
Examples in context
- Tu sais tout ceci.You know all that.This sentence shows the use of tu sais for stating knowledge.Tatoeba #1998459 by Amastan, translation #8920260 by sundown
- Tu sais où je vais.You know where I'm going.This sentence shows the use of tu sais regarding a destination.Tatoeba #5743731 by Petrus, translation #5743500 by CM
- Tu sais qui c'est ?Do you know who it is?This sentence shows the use of tu sais in a question about identity.Tatoeba #6035256 by christian63, translation #2951749 by CK
- Je voulais vous parler de ce projet, mais vous savez, les délais sont très serrés.I wanted to talk to you about this project, but, you know, the deadlines are very tight.
- Comme vous le savez, notre entreprise est engagée dans une démarche écologique.As you know, our company is committed to an eco-friendly approach.
- Tu sais, je suis vraiment fatigué aujourd'hui.You know, I'm really tired today.
- Tu sais, il est facile de se perdre dans cette ville.You know, it's easy to get lost in this city.
- J'ai décidé d'acheter ce pull, tu vois, j'en avais vraiment besoin.I decided to buy this sweater, you know, I really needed one.
- Tu vois, elle est vraiment en colère contre lui.You see, she's really angry with him.
- Façon de parler, tu sais-tu comme on dit chez nous.Just a way of speaking, you know, like we say here.
- Vous savez, les vacances sont prévues pour la fin du mois.You know, the vacations are scheduled for the end of the month.
- Comme vous le savez, le rapport sera présenté demain matin.As you know, the report will be presented tomorrow morning.
- 421 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Emma are discussing a difficult decision.
- NathanC'est difficile, tu sais.It's difficult, you know.
- EmmaJe comprends, Nathan.I understand, Nathan.
- NathanJe ne suis pas sûr de mon choix.I am not sure about my choice.
- EmmaPrends ton temps.Take your time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “you know” translations and entries tu sais, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
