You use you know to emphasize or to draw attention to what you are saying.
[spoken, emphasis]
The conditions in there are awful, you know.
You know, it does worry me.
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you know
convention
People use you know when they are uncertain about what they are saying or what they are going to say next.
[spoken]
He's generous and, you know, very nice, very polite.
I thought I'd, you know, have a chat with you.
See full dictionary entry for know
you know
convention
You use you know when you are trying to explain more clearly what you mean, by referring to something that the person you are talking to knows about.
[spoken]
Wear the white dress, you know, the one with all the black embroidery.
See full dictionary entry for know
you know in British English
informal
a parenthetical filler phrase used to make a pause in speaking or add slight emphasis to a statement
See full dictionary entry for know
you know in American English
US
Informal
you understand
a phrase used in conversational pauses
See full dictionary entry for know
Examples of 'you know' in a sentence
you know
Do you know anything about music at all?
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
What do you know about transport?
Computing (2010)
You know about the bag, of course.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You might think that you know all about yourself but you will be surprised by your new-found ambitions.
The Sun (2016)
Did you know about it?
The Sun (2017)
Do you know about e-cigarettes?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You saw at first hand the glamour at Arsenal in your first match in charge of the Swans and now you know all about the grit.
The Sun (2016)
You know that story about him eating his shoe?
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The most creative and musical person you know adds much to your love life.
The Sun (2013)
You know about this sort of thing.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Make a list of the subjects which you know something about.
Lindenfield, Gael 50 Ways to Become a Self-Confident Woman (1989)
You know what they are and you know how to use them.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Do you know enough about basic first aid?
Cohen, Julian & Kay, James Taking Drugs Seriously (1994)
You know to use actually as little as actually possible.
The Times Literary Supplement (2014)
You know one used to with a hockey stick?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
PMQs was like a pantomime horse in that it began and ended with a question about you know what.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
You know a lot about caffeine.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
What do you know about art?
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
That used to be our saying, you know.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
You know the old saying: "To get along you go along.
Christianity Today (2000)
He added: 'Do you know what it is about?
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
He added, "You know that it must be altogether painful to me.
George Eliot Middlemarch (1872)
He added: You know what?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
All related terms of 'you know'
you-know-who
a person whose name one does not want to say , but who is known to the person to whom one is speaking
you don't know
You can say ' You don't know ' in order to emphasize how strongly you feel about the remark you are going to make.
you know what
a thing or person that the speaker cannot or does not want to specify
you never know
You say ' You never know ' or ' One never knows ' to indicate that it is not definite or certain what will happen in the future , and to suggest that there is some hope that things will turn out well .
if you must know
You say ' if you must know ' when you tell someone something that you did not want them to know and you want to suggest that you think they were wrong to ask you about it.
what do you know
People sometimes say ' What do you know ! ' when they are very surprised about something.
I don't know about you
You can say ' I don't know about you ' to indicate that you are going to give your own opinion about something and you want to find out if someone else feels the same.
you know what I mean if you know what I mean
You can use expressions such as you know what I mean and if you know what I mean to suggest that the person listening to you understands what you are trying to say , and so you do not have to explain any more.
better the devil you know
If you say better the devil you know or better the devil you know than the devil you don't know , you mean that you would prefer to have contact with or do business with a person you already know, even though you don't like them, than with a person you don't know.
I know (how you feel, etc)
You use ' I know ' to express sympathy and understanding towards someone.
guess what/do you know what
You say guess what or do you know what to introduce a piece of information which is surprising , which is not generally known , or which you want to emphasize .
not know whether you are coming or going
to feel very confused and unable to think clearly
Chinese translation of 'you know'
you know
(used for emphasis) 你得知道 (nǐ děi zhīdào)
⇒ The conditions in there are awful, you know.你得知道，那里的条件很差。 (Nǐ děi zhīdào, nàlǐ de tiáojiàn hěn chà.)
(in explanations) 你知道的 (nǐ zhīdào de)
⇒ the white dress, you know, the one with the short sleeves白色连衣裙，你知道的，就是短袖的那件 (báisè liányīqún, nǐ zhīdào de, jiùshì duǎnxiù de nà jiàn)
See know (sense 4)
Nearby words of
you know
you do me an injustice
you don't look your age
you don't need (to have) a degree to see what's going on