What to reply if someone asks "Do I know you?"

Before you write anything, look at how she asked. A short "Do I know you?" sent as the first message after a match usually means she's looking at your photos and honestly can't place the connection. Sometimes the app showed you to her by accident, or she swipes fast. A longer message that mentions a place, a mutual friend, or a specific event means she has a partial memory and is hoping you can fill in the gap. The tone matters too. Playful, curious wording calls for a light reply. Flat or cool wording suggests she may be checking whether she wants to talk to you at all. Your job is to match her energy and give her a quick way to close the gap.

If you do know her from somewhere, the only thing she needs from you is the context. A place, a time, or a shared friend is enough. You don't need to explain how you feel about the encounter or how much you remember of it. Keep the answer short so she can reply without having to think hard.

A reply that works here gives her one clear anchor and then leaves the door open. The first kind names where you might have met, like the place, the event, or the friend who introduced you, in a single line. The second kind admits you're not sure you know each other and invites her to say where she thinks she's seen you. This works well when you have no real memory of her either, because it stays honest and doesn't pretend. The third kind is a light, self-aware line that acknowledges the awkwardness without leaning on it. It works when she's clearly teasing you. A good draft of any of these is short, has one concrete hook or one honest admission, and ends in a way that makes replying easy. Leave out apologies, long explanations, and any joke that puts her on the spot for forgetting you.

Give her a day before you follow up, unless the conversation was already moving fast and she just stopped. If she replies with a memory, even a vague one, keep it going by asking one easy question about it. If she says she doesn't recognize you, take it at face value. A simple, friendly acknowledgment is enough. Then you can introduce yourself properly if it's a match, or move on if it was a mix-up. Don't send a second message explaining yourself again. If she doesn't respond after one follow-up, stop. A single unanswered message tells you something, and pushing harder only makes things uncomfortable for her. Send your reply in the early evening or during the day, when the question still has context, rather than late at night when it can read as pressure.