k&k learn french 54 -
connaître quelque chose comme sa poche
Do you know Paris like the back of your hand? We'll help you say that in show 54 : "connaître quelque chose comme sa poche".
Listen to our explanation of the phrase :
Literal translation
To know something like ones' pocket
English equivalent
To know something like the back of your hand
To know something inside-out
To know something perfectly
French equivalent
Connaître quelque chose parfaitement
Très bien connaître
Frog's phrase
Kyliemac connaît Paris come sa poche. Même mieux que sa poche, d'ailleurs.
Translation
Kyliemac knows Paris like the back of her hand. Even better than the back of her hand, actually.
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My feelings is that "connaitre comme sa poche" really does only apply to places.
For subjects I would rather use "connaitre sur le bout des doigts"
"connaitre par coeur" is basically for a text like a poem you were asked to "apprendre par coeur" ie be able to tell it without reading it.
But it is used also for other meaning like: "ton discours je le connait par coeur" which means, I know your argument you told it so many times no need to repeat it, it won't convince me.
It can also be used about a person "je le connais par coeur" which means I know exactly how someone would react to a particular situation.
You can also use "je te connais comme si je t'avais fait" which in my mind is stronger like "I know you better than you know yourself".