knew you know

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "knew you know" is not correct in English and does not convey a clear meaning.
It seems to be a mix of past and present tense that does not fit standard grammatical structures. An example of a corrected phrase could be: "I knew you would know."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

"Your grandmother knew, you know.

The New Yorker

And it was amazing how much he knew, you know, about contracts — returns, free goods, records shipped as opposed to records sold, and so on.

The New Yorker

Other Things I Learned While Solving included the name of the "Besieged city during the Spanish Civil War" (ORVIETO, which I knew but didn't know that I knew, you know?), the fact that BOER means "farmer" in Afrikaans, and ELON, North Carolina is apparently a college town.

The New York Times

But that was the extent of what we knew, you know?

Huffington Post

Benenson: She knew, you know, as we were prepping before Sunday night, that this was a likelihood.

Huffington Post

But he also knew, you know, for these two measures here, I know I'm going to be on the trumpet players so I don't have to cover JK here.

Los Angeles Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

I say I knew you knew.

The New Yorker

He knew you knew that.

The Guardian - Books

I knew you knew they were having a day off.

The Guardian - Sport

I know you know".

The New Yorker

When you know, you know.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for emphasis, ensure that the structure and tense of the phrase align with standard English grammar. Sometimes, rephrasing with additional context can enhance clarity.

Common error

Avoid mixing past and present tenses without a clear purpose, as this can create grammatical errors. Ensure that the sentence structure accurately reflects the intended meaning and avoids unintentional ambiguity.

Linguistic Context

The grammatical function of "knew you know" is ambiguous due to its non-standard structure. It seems to attempt to convey shared knowledge or understanding but lacks grammatical correctness, as noted by Ludwig AI. Examples show variations used in media, but these do not validate its grammatical soundness.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

71%

Science

29%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

"Knew you know" is a phrase that attempts to express shared knowledge or understanding, but it suffers from grammatical issues due to its mixing of tenses. As Ludwig AI points out, it's not considered proper English, and there are clearer, more accurate alternatives such as "I knew you knew" or "I understood you knew". While the phrase does appear in some media contexts, its frequency is relatively uncommon. Therefore, it's best to avoid using "knew you know" in formal writing and opt for grammatically correct alternatives to ensure clarity and effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

I knew you knew

Adds 'I' for emphasis and slightly changes the sentence structure to confirm mutual knowledge.

Understood you know

Replaces 'knew' with 'understood', focusing on comprehension.

Realized you know

Uses 'realized' instead of 'knew', emphasizing the moment of understanding.

Was aware you knew

Uses a more formal tone by using 'was aware' instead of 'knew'.

Figured you know

Employs 'figured' for a more informal sense of understanding.

Knew you were aware

Replaces 'know' with 'were aware', making it more explicit.

I knew you'd understand

Expresses confidence in the other person's ability to understand.

Knew of your knowledge

Rephrases to highlight the existence of the other person's knowledge.

I knew you were informed

Expresses certainty that the other person had received information.

Anticipated your knowledge

Rephrases to suggest that someone expected the other person to know.

FAQs

What does "knew you know" mean?

The phrase "knew you know" is grammatically questionable and lacks a clear meaning. It seems to mix past and present tenses in a way that doesn't follow standard English grammar rules. Better alternatives would be "I knew you knew" or "I knew you understood".

How can I rephrase "knew you know" to be more grammatically correct?

You can use alternatives like "I "knew you knew"", "I knew you understood", or "I was aware you knew depending on the context.

Is "knew you know" considered proper English?

No, "knew you know" is not considered proper English. It's grammatically incorrect due to the conflicting tenses. More appropriate phrases would include "I knew you knew" or "I knew you were aware".

What are some alternatives to using "knew you know" in a sentence?

Depending on the context, you could use "I "realized you knew"", "I "understood you knew"", or "I was aware that you knew". These alternatives offer clarity and grammatical correctness.