Ya se la saben

Ya se la saben

B2 (¡Nivelazo!)Used EVERYWHERE 🇲🇽MUY informal 💀Ñero (barrio) 🧢Millennial 😎Gen Z 👾

🧠 What it means

This is another EPIC chunk (I mean, aren’t they all 😉). It just means: 👉 you (all) know the drill So yeah, it’s perfect for when everyone knows what’s expected of them.
🚨 PERO OJO 🚨 This chunk also has un lado oscuro… It’s infamous in Mexico because it’s EXACTLY what robbers say during a holdup: ¡Ya se la saben! = You know the drill! / Hand over your stuff now!
💡 You’re going to hear the verb sabérsela a lot! It basically means knowing the ropes / knowing what you’re doing / knowing how things work. The la refers loosely to the situation, routine, or skill! Él se la sabe. → He knows his stuff.
Ellos se la saben. → They know what they’re doing. Here’s an example from Adán the mariachi (at approx. 02:30); he’s talking about how the other mariachis know the drill when they get together to form a little group: Pos, ellos se la saben. Vamos, vamos a trabajar.
Well, they know the drill. Come on, let’s get to work.

🌪️ When to whip it out

Whenever you’re telling a group of people to do something they already know how to do:

Ya se la saben, chicos, durante el examen no puede haber celulares en su escritorio.
You know the drill, guys, during the exam there can’t be any cell phones on your desk.
Hoy es viernes, ya se la saben: chelas en mi casa.
It’s Friday, you know what that means: beers at my place.
¡Ya se la saben! Cartera y celular.
You know the drill! Wallet and phone.

⚠️ Tone

✅ Casual, everyday Mexican Spanish.

⚠️ Don’t get onto a combi shouting ¡Ya se la saben!… you’ll have everyone shitting their pants (and risk getting beaten up!!).

🔁 Similar chunks

Ya te la sabesComo siempreLo mismo de siempreYa tú sabesYa sabes

🎥 Heard in

The Untold Story of a Mexican Mariachi →Behind the Wheel in Mexico City →

🦜 El Rincón del Cotorreo

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