The meaning of 나는 네가 아는것을 안다

Question

I try to understand how will "I know that you know" and "I know what you know" be translated.

In both cases I would say 나는 네가 아는것을 안다, but as I am a newbie, I guess I am wrong.

How these kind of sentences will be distinguished?

Answer 1

I don't know how I should put this, so let me just give you possible constructions, both ambiguous ones and not.

I know

나는 안다.

I know.

• Pronoun “나” ― I.
• Marker “는” ― A subject marker.
• Verb “알다” ― To know.
• Ending conjugation “-ᆫ다” ― Describing the current status or fact.

 

나는 ……을/를 안다.

I know …….

• Marker “을/를” ― An object marker.

---

(things) that you know

네가 무엇을 아는지

What you know

• Pronoun “네” ― The variation of “너” before “가,” meaning “you.”
• Marker “가” ― A subject marker.
• Pronoun “무엇” ― What.
• Conjugation “-는지” ― An indirect question marker: whether, if; who, what, where, how.

---

네가 아는 것 [ambiguous]

things that you know (“what you know”); the fact that you know. [ambiguous]

• En-modifier conjugation “-는” ― A conjugation forming a modifier clause.
• Dependent noun “것” ― A thing; a fact that.

 

네가 아는 사실 [ambiguous]

The fact which you know, the fact that you know [ambiguous]

• Noun “사실” ― A fact.

---

네가 ……을/를 아는 것

The fact that you know ……

 

네가 ……을/를 아는 사실

The fact that you know ……

---

네가 안다는 것 (‘네가 안다’는 것)

The fact that “you know”

• Conjugation “-ᆫ다는” ― “that,” implying quoting.

 

네가 안다는 사실 (‘네가 안다’는 사실)

The fact that “you know”

---

네가 ……을/를 안다는 것 (‘네가 ……을/를 안다’는 것)

The fact that “you know …….”

 

네가 ……을/를 안다는 사실 (‘네가 ……을/를 안다’는 사실)

The fact that “you know …….”

---

Full sentences

나는 네가 무엇을 아는지(를) 안다. [The most clear sentence]

I know what you know. [The most clear sentence]

---

나는 네가 아는 것을 안다. [ambiguous, but it often means “I know what you know.”]

I know what you know; I know that you know. [ambiguous, but it often means “I know what you know.”]

 

나는 네가 아는 사실을 안다. [ambiguous, but it often means “I know what you know.”]

I know what you know; I know that you know. [ambiguous, but it often means “I know what you know.”]

---

나는 네가 ……을/를 아는 것을 안다.

I know that you know …….

 

나는 네가 ……을/를 아는 사실을 안다.

I know that you know …….

---

나는 네가 안다는 것을 안다.

I know that “you know.”

 

나는 네가 안다는 사실을 안다.

I know that “you know.”

---

나는 네가 ……을/를 안다는 것을 안다.

I know that “you know …….”

 

나는 네가 ……을/를 안다는 사실을 안다. [The most clear sentence]

I know that “you know …….” [The most clear sentence]

Answer 2

You can be more specific with the object in which 'you know'

I know that you know -> 나는 네가 그것을 아는것을 안다.

The object here is that, so you'll need to add the phrase to 그것을.

I know what you know -> 나는 네가 무었을 아는것을 안다

You're specifically wanting to know what. What is 무엇. We are focusing the object to what in the previous statement.

Like in English you want to add direct objects to address what the verb is saying.