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Glite Dictionary
you're telling me

you're telling me

153 8.5
To say this to show you strongly agree with an obvious or unpleasant point
  • idiom
  • Informal
: ni me digas
  • "Well, I'm glad you're telling me this," I say.
  • So you're telling me
  • Now you're telling me
  • Okay, you're telling me

Examples

  • Oh, you're telling me.

    Camp Hideout (2023)

  • CHILI: What you're telling me is that you're tired?

    Fiction book (1995)

  • What your man did is a crime and you're telling me it's different.

  • Okay, so you're telling me, all the other brothers are wrong.

    Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

  • Is that what you're telling me?

    Double Indemnity (1944)

  • So how come you're telling me this now?

    Fiction book (1996)

  • "What you're telling me is too far out to be fiction." "Good," Jack said.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • And now you're telling me you're going to fire me.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • You're telling me that's for the good of the people?

    Parts: The Clonus Horror (1979)

Synonyms

yeah
vsyou're telling me
  • Informal
∞ 2.0

A short reply to show you are listening and understand

expresses stronger agreement and shared feeling about an obvious point
of course
vsyou're telling me
∞ 1.0

To show something is obvious and to say yes or give permission

adds emotional understanding and often reacts to unpleasant obviousness
and how
vsyou're telling me
  • Informal
250 8.6

Shows that you agree strongly with what someone says

is used more to show understanding or sympathy with a remark
right
vsyou're telling me
  • Informal
106 1.0

Say this to show agreement or acceptance

carries stronger empathy and often responds to unpleasant truths
you said it
vsyou're telling me
  • Informal
77 7.6

A strong way to agree with what someone says

is more empathetic and replies to obvious or unpleasant facts
right on
vsyou're telling me
  • Archaic
53 7.7

A strong informal shout that shows agreement

leans more toward empathetic understanding of an obvious or unpleasant point
gotcha
vsyou're telling me
  • Informal
27 8.1

A quick way to say you understand or that you caught someone doing something

focuses more on showing agreement and emotional understanding rather than just noticing
word
vsyou're telling me
  • Slang
9.9

An informal exclamation used to show agreement

is fuller, showing sympathy or clear understanding of the situation

How Agreeing

you're telling me
  • Informal
153 8.5
indeed
∞ 1.0
to agree
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

you're telling me main

Morphology

you're + telling + me

Literally composed from 'you are telling me' (you + are + telling + me), a B1 learner who knows the words can infer the literal sense of being informed. However, its frequent pragmatic use as an emphatic agreement/empathetic response (equivalent to 'I know'/'tell me about it') is an extended, conversational meaning not fully predictable from the parts, so prior exposure is usually needed.

Etymology

You're telling me comes from a simple conversation image: someone is telling me something obvious or difficult that I already know or feel. Saying you're telling me shows strong agreement or understanding, so it now means 'I agree strongly' or 'I know'.