Reminds the listener of something they already know, often to back up what you're saying: 오늘 토요일이잖아요 (oneul toyoirijanayo), "it's Saturday, you know".
Checked against the official learner dictionary from the National Institute of Korean Language
- Same form after any stem, and after 았/었 at/eot for the past: 갔잖아요 gatjanayo.
- After a noun: 이잖아요 after a consonant, 잖아요 after a vowel. With friends, drop 요: 잖아 jana.
Build it
When to use it
Reminding
Something the listener already knows.
Backing up a point
The known fact explains what you said.
Gently correcting
When the listener seems to have forgotten.
Watch out
학생 ends in a consonant, so it needs 이: 학생이잖아요.
In context
9 examples- 1
오늘 토요일이잖아요.
Oneul toyoirijanayo.
It's Saturday today, you know.
- 2
제가 어제 말했잖아요.
Jega eoje malhaetjanayo.
I told you yesterday, remember?
- 3
밖에 춥잖아요. 코트 입으세요.
Bakke chupjanayo. koteu ibeuseyo.
It's cold out, you know. Put a coat on.
- 4
제가 매운 거 못 먹잖아요.
Jega maeun geo mot meokjanayo.
I can't eat spicy food, you know.
- 5
오늘 월요일이잖아요. 길이 막혀요.
Oneul woryoirijanayo. giri makyeoyo.
It's Monday, you know. The roads are jammed.
- 6
아까 다 먹었잖아요.
Akka da meogeotjanayo.
You already ate it all earlier, remember?
- 7
여기 너무 비싸잖아요.
Yeogi neomu bissajanayo.
This place is way too expensive, you know.
- 8
우리 친구잖아.
Uri chingujana.
We're friends, aren't we?
- 9
그 사람 한국어 잘하잖아요.
Geu saram hangugeo jalhajanayo.
You know how good their Korean is.
Practice
7 questions알다 + 잖아요
잖아요 or 거든요?
Both can explain something you've just said. The difference is whether the listener already knows the reason:
- 택시 타요. 비가 오잖아요. biga ojanayo "Let's take a taxi. It's raining, you know." You can both see the rain.
- 택시 탈게요. 다리가 아프거든요. dariga apeugeodeunyo "I'll take a taxi. My leg hurts, you see." The listener didn't know.
There's a lesson on 거든요 too.
잖아요 or 지요?
지요/죠 jiyo/jyo checks that the listener agrees: 덥죠? "It's hot, isn't it?" 잖아요 doesn't ask. It states something as already known.
Look it up in the dictionary
The entry for 잖아요 in two trusted Korean dictionaries.