HYEJU LANGUAGE LAB · INTERMEDIATE 36 · LESSON 121

-잖아요…, you know / …, remember?

-잖아요 reminds the listener of something they already know or should know: 내일 시험이잖아요 (Tomorrow’s the exam, you know). It is often used to give a reason that seems obvious.

Listening speed

Listen buttons use your device’s Korean voice. A Korean voice must be installed and available to the browser.

A situation you already know

Your friend asks why you’re not coming to the party tonight.

내일 아침에 시험이 있잖아요.

I’ve got an exam tomorrow morning, remember?

Your friend already knows about the exam. -잖아요 says “you know this, so you understand why.”

Build the form

FORM IN MOTION

Try an expression

있다 → 있 + 잖아요 → 있잖아요Complete expression
바쁘다 → 바쁘 + 잖아요 → 바쁘잖아요Complete expression
먹다 (과거) → 먹었 + 잖아요 → 먹었잖아요Complete expression
학생 → 학생 + 이잖아요 → 학생이잖아요Complete expression
친구 → 친구 + (이)잖아요 → 친구잖아요Complete expression

Verb or adjective stem + -잖아요, with no change: 가잖아요, 먹잖아요, 바쁘잖아요.
Past: -았/었잖아요 → 말했잖아요, 갔잖아요.
Nouns: consonant + 이잖아요, vowel + (이)잖아요 → 학생이잖아요, 친구잖아요.
Casual: -잖아 → 내가 말했잖아.
Use it for shared knowledge or an obvious reason; don’t use it for brand-new information.
With seniors it can sound like “Don’t you know that?” Use it gently, or choose -거든요 instead.

Think in Korean · an English-speaker’s guide

English often uses “you know”, “remember?” or a tag like “…, right?” for the same job.
Intonation changes the feeling: soft and friendly, or annoyed (내가 말했잖아요! = I told you!).
If the listener doesn’t know the fact, -잖아요 sounds strange. Use -거든요 to give new background information (Lesson 122).

Six examples in context

제가 어제 말했잖아요.

I told you yesterday, remember?

주말이라서 사람이 많잖아요. 다른 데 가요.

It’s the weekend, so it’s crowded, you know. Let’s go somewhere else.

우리 친구잖아요. 부탁하세요.

We’re friends, aren’t we? Just ask me.

민수 씨는 매운 거 못 먹잖아요.

Minsu can’t eat spicy food, you know.

요즘 날씨가 춥잖아요. 따뜻하게 입으세요.

It’s cold these days, you know. Dress warmly.

그 식당 지난번에 같이 갔잖아요. 기억 안 나요?

We went to that restaurant together last time. Don’t you remember?

Compare with related patterns

-거든요

내일 시험이 있거든요.

“I’ve got an exam tomorrow, you see.” New background the listener didn’t know (Lesson 122).

-지요/죠

내일 시험이 있죠?

“There’s an exam tomorrow, right?” Checking something you think is shared (Lesson 44).

-아/어서

시험이 있어서 못 가요.

“I can’t go because I have an exam.” Plain reason, no “you know” feeling (Lesson 58).

Pattern	Choose it when…
-잖아요	Reminding: the listener already knows
-거든요	Explaining: new background info
-지요/죠?	Checking: “right?”
-아/어서	Plain reason

Common mistakes

(처음 만난 사람에게) 저는 한국에서 왔잖아요.저는 한국에서 왔어요. / 왔거든요.

They don’t know this yet → no -잖아요.

학생잖아요.학생이잖아요.

After a consonant, nouns need 이.

어제 가잖아요. (과거)어제 갔잖아요.

Past events need -았/었잖아요.

부장님, 제가 말씀드렸잖아요! (화난 말투)부장님, 지난번에 말씀드렸는데요…

With a boss, -잖아요 can sound like blame; soften it.

Mini practice · six questions

Try each one before opening the answer. Translation answers are models; other natural wording is possible.

Fill in the blankA: 왜 우산을 가져가요? B: 오늘 비 온다고 ______. (했다)
Check answer
오늘 비 온다고 했잖아요.
Shared info from the forecast → 했잖아요.
Fill in the blankA: 왜 이렇게 일찍 자요? B: 내일 ______. 일찍 일어나야 해요. (월요일)
Check answer
내일 월요일이잖아요.
Noun ending in a consonant → 이잖아요.
Choose the natural form(처음 말하는 이유) 늦어서 죄송해요. 길이 많이 (막히잖아요 / 막혔거든요).
Check answer
막혔거든요
The listener didn’t know → -거든요.
Choose the natural formA: 우리 뭐 먹을까요? B: 지수 씨는 고기를 안 (먹잖아요 / 먹거든요). 둘 다 아는 사실이에요.
Check answer
먹잖아요
Both of you know → -잖아요.
Fix the mistake우리 지난주에 같이 영화 보잖아요.
Check answer
우리 지난주에 같이 영화 봤잖아요.
Last week → past 봤잖아요.
Say it in KoreanIt’s Sunday today, you know. The bank is closed.
Check answer
오늘 일요일이잖아요. 은행 문 닫았어요.
Shared fact → 일요일이잖아요.

Today’s key point

-잖아요 = “you know / remember?”: stem + 잖아요, past -았/었잖아요, nouns (이)잖아요. Only for things the listener already knows; be gentle with seniors.

Keep learning

Hyeju Yoo

M.A. in Korean Language Education · Certified Korean language teacher

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