y'know

UK/jəˈnəʊ/US/jəˈnoʊ/

A form of you know — Expression signifying a pause or hesitation.

Meanings

contraction
  1. alternativecontractioninformalAlternative form of you know.

    But I guess that's life, y'know?

    3 more examples

    Y'know, come to think of it, you're right.

    We start here, the 27th of January. On that day Karsfeld, the Princess Street jeweller, y'know, who acted as our jewellery assessor, forwards a proposal of the Hon. Mrs Straithwaite to insure a pearl necklace against theft.

    1914, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados

    Even though in a way you let him freeze to death in the water, because the way I see it... I agree. Y'know, I think he actually could have fitted on that bit of door. There was plenty of room on the raft. I know. I know, I know.

    2016 February 2, Kate Winslet et al., Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see

Translations

Dutch weetstu
  • weetstuyou know
Finnish tiiäthän
  • tiiäthänyou know
French t'vois, t'sais
  • t'voisyou know
  • t'saisyou know
German weißte
  • weißteyou know
Greek ξες
  • ξες (xes)you know
Hebrew אתה מבין, את מבינה
  • אתה מביןyou know
  • את מבינהyou know
Icelandic þúst
  • þústyou know
Japanese ね
  • ねyou know
Norwegian Bokmål vettu
  • vettuyou know
Scottish Gaelic fhios a'd
  • fhios a'dyou know
Spanish sabes
  • sabesyou know
Swedish vettu
  • vettuyou know
Ukrainian ’наєш
  • ’наєш (ʺnaješ)you know
Welsh 'sti, timod
  • 'stiyou know
  • timodyou know
  • t'modyou know

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with y'know

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

y'know. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/y'know

MLA

“y'know.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/y'know. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “y'know,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/y'know.

Source: y'know on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.