So, you want to share your knowledge with someone to find out if they know the same things as you.
That’s where did you know might come in.
However, are you a bit worried the phrase is unfriendly or rude?
Well, this article has gathered some alternatives to show you other ways to say did you know.
6 Alternative Ways to Say “Did You Know”
You can refer to these alternatives to learn what to say instead of did you know:
- Are you aware
- Have you heard
- Were you informed
- Has it crossed your mind
- Did you happen to find out
- Are you in the loop
1. Are You Aware
We want to start with are you aware. It’s another way to say did you know that doesn’t take someone’s knowledge for granted.
Asking are you aware shows that you don’t know whether someone already has the information you’re sharing with them.
It’s polite and direct. Generally, this works best when contacting a client.
After all, the last thing you want to do with a client is insult their intelligence. So, they might have heard about a change from another party, and you can use this to confirm whether that’s true.
You can also refer to this email example:
Dear Mr. Smith,
Are you aware that we’ve changed the way we run this business?
Please refer to the attached document to learn more about the changes.
Thank you so much,
Carl Clark
2. Have You Heard
You should also try have you heard as a formal way to say did you know.
Again, it doesn’t take someone’s knowledge for granted. It also means you don’t assume that you know more than the recipient you’re emailing.
Try using it when emailing an employee. It shows that you’re interested in updating them about some changes, and you might even be looking for some feedback or criticism relating to them.
This is a great way to keep people involved when changes happen in your business.
You can also refer to this sample email to learn more:
Dear Michael,
Have you heard that we’ve updated our system?
Please take a look at it and let me know what you think about the changes.
Best wishes,
Sharon Tate
3. Were You Informed
Also, there’s always were you informed. This is a great formal synonym for did you know that shows you’re happy to update someone if they haven’t already heard.
Generally, this phrase is direct and to the point. It shows that you have something important to share with the recipient and would like to learn whether they already know about it.
It’s a great choice when contacting a customer. For instance, you can use it if you’re taking over their account from another colleague and you want to keep them updated.
You should review this sample email to learn more about it:
Dear Mrs. Tomkins,
Were you informed that I would be taking over your account for the next month?
Please let me know if there’s anything I need to learn about you.
My best,
Charlotte Meer
4. Has It Crossed Your Mind
If you’re looking for another way to say did you know without saying you, there’s always has it crossed your mind.
Okay, so it still uses your, but that doesn’t make it any less effective.
We recommend using this in more conversational settings. You can use it when asking a friend whether they know something in a text message.
It could be a good way to check whether someone has similar knowledge to you.
You can also refer to these examples to learn more:
Has it crossed your mind that we’ve changed the times for a reason? You should find out more about it.
Has it crossed your mind that these things have happened before? We should probably look into that.
5. Did You Happen to Find Out
Another great conversational synonym is did you happen to find out. This works well when you’ve just heard some interesting information and would like to know if the recipient knows of it.
Try using it when contacting a coworker about new updates in the workplace.
You don’t have to use it in an email. Instead, it works well in a more friendly text message or spoken situation.
It’s a great way to build a rapport with a coworker and let them know you’ve found out something that might interest them.
Also, you can refer to these message samples:
Did you happen to find out the same things as me? I’m not sure if they wanted to keep you updated, but this is what I know.
Did you happen to find out whether we were going to do this on Friday? I’ve heard some things that might interest you.
6. Are You in the Loop
We want to finish with are you in the loop. It’s a great conversational and personal alternative that’ll help you to mix things up.
Try using it when texting a coworker. It shows that you’ve got some information relating to their job (or the company you work for) and would like to share it.
Generally, the phrase is informative and polite. That’s what makes it such a good choice when you don’t want to put too much pressure on the information you’re sharing.
You should also refer to these samples to learn how it works:
Are you in the loop like I am? If not, I’ll be happy to share what I know about this situation with you.
Are you in the loop about the changes? Max told me all about them, but I’m unsure if you’re supposed to know.
Is It Correct to Say “Did You Know”?
Did you know is correct to say informally or professionally.
It’s highly effective in most contexts. It simply shows that you have knowledge that someone else might not possess.
So, you can ask did you know before including the information you’d like to share. This is a good way to see if someone knows the same things as you.
Here’s an email example to show you how it could work professionally:
Dear Martin,
Did you know that we were supposed to change the way we do our inventory?
I noticed some changes in the recent file!
All the best,
Maxwell Manning
You can also mix things up and use the present tense do you know. This could help to find out whether someone has heard of the thing you’re sharing at the moment of saying it.
This time, you can refer to this message sample to learn more about it:
Do you know they changed the meeting time? I heard it from Darren, but I thought you should know.
Before using the phrase, you should ensure you know what tense works with the verb know. Otherwise, you could accidentally make a mistake that makes you look a bit silly.
Mistake: Using knew instead of know
- Correct: Did you know?
- Incorrect: Did you knew?
There is never a time when did you knew is correct as a question. Stick to using know in the infinitive form here.
