你知道...吗？
Reach for this when you want to ask whether someone knows about a thing, a person, or a piece of information. It's the bread-and-butter way Chinese opens a check-in question — 'You know X, right?' — and works equally well for testing what someone has heard about, what they recognize, or what they have learned. Often used as a soft conversation starter or a setup before sharing news.
Structure
你知道 [THING] 吗？
Nǐ zhīdào... ma?
How to Think About It
知道 means 'know about' / 'have heard of' — not 'know how to' (that's 会) and not 'be familiar with personally' (that's 认识). The 吗 turns the whole thing into a yes/no question. The slot takes a noun or a short clause, never a question word — adding 什么 or 哪个 inside breaks the structure because you can't ask two questions at once.
Examples
你知道这家餐厅吗？
Nǐ zhīdào zhè jiā cāntīng ma?
Do you know this restaurant?
你知道他的名字吗？
Nǐ zhīdào tā de míngzì ma?
Do you know his name?
你知道今天的新闻吗？
Nǐ zhīdào jīntiān de xīnwén ma?
Do you know today's news?
Common Mistake
Beginners mix up 知道 and 认识. 知道 is 'know that X exists / know information,' 认识 is 'be personally acquainted with.' For a person you've met, use 认识; for a name you've heard, use 知道.
你知道我的妈妈吗？
你认识我的妈妈吗？
Don't Confuse With
你认识...吗？
Used for people or places you've personally met or been to. 'Do you know my friend?' = 认识. 'Do you know this singer (have you heard of)?' = 知道.
你会...吗？
Asks about ability — 'Do you know how to swim/cook/speak Chinese?' Use 会 for learned skills, 知道 for facts and information.
你知道吗？
Same pattern, but with no object — used as an opener like 'Did you know?' or 'Y'know?' before sharing a piece of information. 你知道...吗？ asks about a specific thing; 你知道吗 is a hook.
Practice
你 ___ 这本书吗？
Show answer
知道
你知道他是谁 ___ ？
Show answer
吗
Put in order: [吗 / 你 / 答案 / 知道]
Show answer
你知道答案吗？
Translate to Chinese: 'Do you know this song?'
Show answer
你知道这首歌吗？
Write one question using 你知道...吗？ about a piece of news or a fact.
Show answer
Example answer: 你知道明天有考试吗？ (Do you know there's a test tomorrow?)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: