Korean Pattern ~잖아요: How to Say "you know / as you know"

Verb/Adj stem + 잖아요. Reminds the listener of something they already know. Slightly reproachful tone possible.

The Rule

~잖아요 = "you know / as you know" Verb/Adj stem + 잖아요. Reminds the listener of something they already know. Slightly reproachful tone possible. This is one of the essential Korean grammar patterns. Mastering it unlocks the ability to express "you know / as you know" naturally in conversation — something you'll need almost every day.

Why English Speakers Get It Wrong

In English, "you know / as you know" is expressed with separate words (auxiliary verbs, modals). In Korean, ~잖아요 is a grammatical ENDING attached to the verb stem. You can't just translate word-by-word. The common mistake: trying to combine Korean words the way English does instead of attaching the pattern to the verb stem. Korean grammar works by stacking endings, not by adding separate helper words.

How It Works

Formation: Verb stem + 잖아요 Verb/Adj stem + 잖아요. Reminds the listener of something they already know. Slightly reproachful tone possible. Step by step: 1. Take any verb (e.g., 가다 = to go) 2. Remove 다 to get the stem (가) 3. Add the pattern: 가잖아요 This works with virtually any Korean verb.

Real Examples

• 제가 매운 거 못 먹잖아요. (jega maeun geo mot meokjanayo.) — "You know I can't eat spicy food." • 오늘 금요일이잖아요! (oneur geumyoirijanayo!) — "It's Friday, you know!"

Common Mistakes

❌ Trying to translate "you know / as you know" word-by-word from English ✅ Use the pattern ~잖아요 attached to the verb stem → Korean expresses "you know / as you know" as a single grammatical construction, not separate words. ❌ Forgetting vowel harmony or consonant rules ✅ Check if the verb stem ends in a vowel or consonant — the pattern may change form → Pay attention to the verb stem's final sound when attaching the pattern.

Quick Tip

Practice ~잖아요 with 5 verbs you already know. Write them out: • 가다 (go) → 가잖아요 • 먹다 (eat) → 먹잖아요 Repetition with familiar verbs builds the pattern into muscle memory. Once automatic, you can use it with ANY verb.

~잖아요 = "you know / as you know"

Examples

제가 매운 거 못 먹잖아요. — jega maeun geo mot meokjanayo. — You know I can't eat spicy food.

오늘 금요일이잖아요! — oneur geumyoirijanayo! — It's Friday, you know!