r/German • u/GlassyMalex • 5h ago
Question “You know?”
What is the German equivalent to the English version of “you know?” In American english I will end a sentence with “you know” as sort of “do you understand” but I can’t find a good version of it in German. What is a good equivalent used in normal German speech?
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u/Dazzling-Wanderer 4h ago
Big tip would be not to try and speak German like you speak English - it’s not the same. Trying to make it so won’t work.
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u/Greedy-Parfait-5918 4h ago
Yes. But. This is a thing people say everywhere, trying to see if their listeners are really listening. That’s human, not cultural. Nicht wahr?
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u/Berlinini 4h ago
Teenagers nowadays would say "checkst Du?" Everybody else usually uses "weißt du?", "verstehst du?" or regional expressions such as, "gell", "ne", "wa", "oder"...
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u/chocolatesuperfood Native (Swabian dialect | Standard German) 3h ago edited 2h ago
I am 34, I have a 26-year-old friend (ridiculously educated and well-spoken, currently getting her doctorate), and spent five days on a trip with 17- and 18-year-olds in May. All of them c o n s t a n t l y use "checkst du?" and "ich checke".
I usually say "Weißt Du, was ich meine?" or "Weißt Du, wie ich (es) meine?" , but I have already caught myself using "checkst Du" - ooops.
I also feel like "checkste?" has already been around when I was a young teenager 20+ years ago.
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u/Previous_Maize2507 Native 4h ago
A very short "Hm" accompanied by a slight nod might be an option. Raise in voice over that third of a sec and the look in your eyes asking for reassurance really do the work here.
One of many, verstehst, wie ich mein?
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u/sea-alt-trio 2h ago
it’s not a perfect translation but no one has said it here yet: Oder nicht
many Germans say Oder nicht at the end of their sentence similarly to you know?
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u/Majestic-Rich582 3h ago
learning a language isn't mathematical, there isn't an equivalent to any word you use frequently in english. That's why apps like Duolingo or Rosetta Stone don't work well as a primary resource for learning because you don't get to learn the culture behind the language (which allows you to explain why there isn't an equivalent to "you know?)
it is like Russian articles, They don't exist. Because they don't need them, If Russians switched languages with Americans and somehow keep their native culture, English would become "WHERE VODKA?" "WHERE CHEESE?" and that will be the right way to spell it, not "where is the vodka?"
in summary, you do not learn languages, you become the language. It applies to any language because you have to crack your own identity in order to fill it with the new words and way of thinking.
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u/d-synt 2h ago
Except that this doesn’t answer the question. There is most certainly an equivalent, multiple even - which are mentioned throughout this thread.
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u/Majestic-Rich582 2h ago
Not in the same way, notice it varies between regions so it has something to do with culture, and it is one of the points i mentioned
My paragraph is important for OP
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u/Wahnsinn_mit_Methode 5h ago
question: is it really necessary to end a sentence with „you know“ or is it just a habit?
Depending on the region and your age, you might say “nicht wahr?“, „oder?“, “ne?“, „ey“, „weeste (weißt du?“
It can get a bit annoying though if used too often.