if you know, you know
- idiom
- Slang
:
quien sabe, sabe
- The reference to that movie was subtle; if you know, you know!
Examples
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Everyone at the concert cheered during that song—if you know, you know.
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There's a little bakery downtown that makes the best croissants—if you know, you know.
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Some moments in life are hard to explain, but if you know, you know.
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When it comes to the secret menu, if you know, you know.
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Everyone at the concert cheered during that song—if you know, you know.
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There's a little bakery downtown that makes the best croissants—if you know, you know.
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The reference to that movie was subtle; if you know, you know!
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning — that only people with the relevant knowledge will understand — is directly signalled by the conditional 'if' plus the verb 'know' repeated; the clause literally says that understanding depends on whether 'you know'. Although used as a conversational shorthand/discourse marker, its sense is compositional and cross-linguistically paralleled, so a B1 learner who knows the words and basic conditional meaning can infer it.
Etymology
If you know, you know began as a kind of secret nod among friends and online groups: when people shared a small experience or inside joke that only some had, others would say this short line instead of explaining it. So it now means 'only people with specific knowledge or experience will understand'.