我不知道
wǒ bù zhīdao
I don't know
我不知道 (wǒ bù zhīdào) is the most common and direct way to say “I don't know” in Mandarin Chinese. It's a neutral and honest answer that can be used freely in almost any situation.
What does 我不知道 (wǒ bù zhīdao) mean?
我不知道 (wǒ bù zhīdao) means “I don't know” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “I not know.”
When to use it
Neutral and direct. It's appropriate for most everyday conversations. For a more polite or apologetic tone, you could add “对不起” (duìbuqǐ, “sorry”) before it. If you want to express “I'm not sure”, you can say “我不确定” (wǒ bù quèdìng).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “waw boo jhur-DAOW”. The “waw” is a dipping tone, “boo” is a falling tone, and “DAOW” is a strong falling tone.
Other ways to say it
- 我不清楚wǒ bù qīngchuI'm not clear / I don't know clearly
- 我不确定wǒ bú quèdìngI'm not sure
- 谁知道呢？shéi zhīdao ne?Who knows? (rhetorical)
Examples
这个问题我不知道。
zhè ge wèntí wǒ bù zhīdao.
I don't know this question.
他什么时候回来？我不知道。
tā shénme shíhou huílái? wǒ bù zhīdao.
When will he be back? I don't know.
对不起，我真的不知道。
duìbuqǐ, wǒ zhēnde bù zhīdao.
Sorry, I really don't know.
Pro tip: While direct, “我不知道” is not impolite. It's a simple statement of fact. Avoid adding unnecessary apologies unless the context truly requires it.
Related phrases
这个用中文怎么说？ · How do you say this in chinese我知道 · I know我忘了 · I forgot
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