How do you say “I told you so” in Russian?

А я говорила! is the Russian “I told you so!” Word for word it is “and I was saying”: the past tense говорила points back at a warning that was given and ignored. A woman or girl says говорила; a man or boy says а я говорил. It comes out half triumphant, half sympathetic, right after the thing you warned about has happened.

Я же говорила! is the stronger version: же adds “didn’t I?” Here a mother warns her daughter not to touch the nettle (крапива), putting it in baby talk: она бо-бо делает, where бо-бо stands for больно, “it hurts.” The girl touches it anyway, and her mum gets to say а я говорила.