"you know" emphasis or pause or habit?

Status
Not open for further replies.

keannu

VIP Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Korean
Home Country
South Korea
Current Location
South Korea
I hear tons of "you know" from nativer speakers' conversation, and depending on the context, they may mean different things like emphasis or pause. Does it sometimes mean nothing but a habit not to mean anything? As I can hear much more from an individual than from others.
 

bhaisahab

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Ireland
I hear tons of "you know" from nativer speakers' conversation, and depending on the context, they may mean different things like emphasis or pause. Does it sometimes mean nothing but a habit not to mean anything? As I can hear much more from an individual than from others.

Sometimes it is, as you say, a habit and doesn't mean anything.
 

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
You will hear "like" used the same way.
 

Winwin2011

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2011
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
Hong Kong
Current Location
Hong Kong
You will hear "like" used the same way.

Hi Barb_D,

Could you please give me some examples? I'm eager to learn the use of "like" in the same way of "you know". Thanks.
 

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Do NOT try to emulate the style of speech. It's a horrible habit. I simply mentioned it so that when you, like, hear a native speaker, like, saying it all the time, you, like, don't think it means anything, you know?
 

shannico

Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2011
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Italian
Home Country
Italy
Current Location
Italy
You'll also hear a lot know+mean+like in the same sentence, i.e. (do) you know what I mean, like?


Do NOT try to emulate the style of speech. It's a horrible habit. I simply mentioned it so that when you, like, hear a native speaker, like, saying it all the time, you, like, don't think it means anything, you know?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top