Find English Teachers
Karen
Is the phrase "you must know" a colloquial expression without any meaning?
I am wondering whether there are many oral English have no real meaning? Is it just a casual expression.
Jan 21, 2013 1:29 AM
Answers · 5
1
The phrase you mention in your question does have meaning. But, it's the use of "must" that gives the phrase meaning. It's not an English idiom or anything. "You must know" is an example of using "must" to emphasize a verb. Example:
"You *must* know something so simple!"
I used the "*" symbol to show how that might be verbally emphasized.
I don't think we have any expressions that hold no meaning at all. There are many English phrases that mean things other than they literally say, but not many I can think of that hold no significance.
January 21, 2013
You must know= you ought to know
January 21, 2013
If you have the full sentence some context would really help with this one.
January 21, 2013
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!
Karen
Language Skills
Chinese (Mandarin), English, Japanese
Learning Language
English, Japanese
Articles You May Also Like

Speak More Fluently with This Simple Technique
5 likes · 1 Comments

How to Read and Understand a Business Contract in English
10 likes · 2 Comments

6 Ways italki Can Help You Succeed in Your School Language Classes
12 likes · 6 Comments
More articles