How to Say “I don’t know” in Japanese

One helpful trick for language-learning is to make some extent of understanding how to ask for assist early on.

If you happen to’re visiting a conventional Japanese inn and the entrance table team of workers simply requested you a query, your go back and forth goes to move much more easily if you’ll be able to clue them in to the truth that you don’t have a clue what they stated.

In that vein, the word “I don’t know” or “I don’t perceive” generally is a life-saver.

How do you assert “I don’t know” in Japanese?

The 2 usual tactics to say ‘I don’t know’ in Japanese are 「知りません。」 (shirimasen) and 「分かりません。」 (wakarimasen).” Tlisted below are two primary tactics to say you realize or perceive one thing in Japanese. The primary of those is 知る (shiru), a verb meaning “to know,” and the second one is 分かる (wakaru), nearer in meaning to “to perceive.”

Each are godan verbs finishing in -ru, because of this the unfavourable is shaped in the similar manner for each. 知る turns into 知らない (shiranai) or, extra officially, 知りません (shirimasen), whilst 分かる turns into 分からない (wakaranai) or 分かりません (wakarimasen).

An alternative choice is the old fashioned 心得ません (kokoroemasen).

There are a couple of different verbs which mean “to know,” however they’re normally reserved for particular eventualities or aren’t normally used in some way that suggests “I don’t know.”

Normally, you can use 知りません or 分かりません as a substitute.

知る and 分かる: two reasonably other verbs for “to know”

The commonest Japanese phrases that mean “to know” are 知る (shiru) and 分かる (wakaru).

The principle distinction between the 2 is that 知る manner know in the sense of “to take note of” and 分かるimplies that you know one thing as the results of analysis, find out about or experience.

If any person had been to say 「あ、知っています！」 it’s possible you’ll call to mind this as meaning “Ah, I’ve heard of that!”

分かる, alternatively, is normally reserved for highbrow issues, so 「分かっています！」 may well be extra like “I’ve were given it!”

Each those verbs are “godan” verbs, because of this to get the bottom shape you merely take away the る from the top.

Since the primarily based shape is what’s used to shape the unfavourable, understanding that is necessary in the event you’re making an attempt to say “I don’t know.”

Examples

Those two examples make transparent the sophisticated distinction between the 2 phrases.

Believe those “issues” are math issues on a homework project.

Within the first instance, the query may well be rephrased as “have you learnt of this downside?” Mainly, the speaker is looking if the listener is conscious about the precise downside.

In the second one, the speaker is looking extra alongside the strains of “have you learnt the answer to this downside?”

Pronouncing “I don’t know” with 知りません (shirimasen)

In maximum contexts, the best manner to say you don’t know one thing is to use the phrase 知りません.

That is the well mannered unfavourable type of the verb 知る.

As already established, 知る manner “to know,” a truth bolstered by way of its being written with the kanji 知, meaning “knowledge” or “wisdom.”

Once more, that is “to know” in the generalized sense. It will also be used to refer to other folks.

If you happen to’re talking casually, you’ll be able to say 知らない (shiranai).

Examples

Pronouncing “I don’t perceive” with 分かりません (wakarimasen)

In contrast to 知りません, 分かりません will have to simplest be used whilst you actually don’t perceive how to do or say one thing.

This implies it may be a excellent stand-in for “I don’t know” when any person is looking you questions on language, math, or some other instructional matter.

Alternatively, stay in thoughts that it does technically mean extra like “I don’t perceive.”

In a much less formal atmosphere, you’ll be able to use 分からない (wakaranai) as a substitute of 分かりません.

Examples

In those examples, 分かりません may also be translated as “I don’t know.”

The usage of 心得ません (kokoroemasen) for “I don’t perceive”

The verb 心得ません (kokoroemasen) is a 3rd possibility that can be utilized in some instances to mean “I don’t know.”

The kanji in this phrase are 心 (kokoro), meaning “middle” or “thoughts,” and 得る (eru), meaning “to achieve” or “to get.” Actually, then, this phrase manner you “get [something] in your thoughts.”

Similar to 分かる, 心得る carries a connotation of intellectually working out one thing.

In truth, 心得る is basically an old school synonym for 分かる.

心得る is an ichidan verb, so to make it unfavourable you drop the る and upload ない or ません.

This provides us a unfavourable type of 心得ません (kokoroemasen) or 心得ない (kokoroenai).

You most likely wouldn’t use this phrase to say you don’t know or don’t perceive one thing.

Alternatively, in some contexts, like formal essay writing, it can be suitable.

A be aware on topics

It’s worth bringing up that not one of the instance sentences above come with a particular matter.

Japanese is a high-context language, so it’s now not typically important to come with one.

With none context,「知りません。」technically simply tells you that any person doesn’t know one thing.

To explicitly come with your self, you could possibly want to say「私は知りません。」or「私は分かりません。」

Alternatively, together with the phrase for “I” in fact simply places the point of interest on you.

This is, it form of signifies that whilst some other folks may know one thing, you undoubtedly don’t.

Because of this, it’s typically best to simply say「知りません。」or「分かりません。」with none particular matter. Other people will perceive what you mean.