no sé
/ˌno ˈse/
The English abbreviation 'idk' is equivalent to the Spanish phrase no sé.
The phrase is used to express that the speaker does not know something. You may also encounter more colloquial variations like Ni idea (No idea) or the even more informal Ni idea de nada (No idea at all).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase no sé is composed of no (not) and sé (I know).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America, you may hear the phrase No tengo ni la más remota idea to mean 'I don't have the faintest idea'. In Spain, the expression No tengo ni pajolera idea is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word sé is the first-person singular present indicative of the verb saber, which means 'to know a fact'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌno ˈse/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, you use no sé for facts, but you cannot use the verb saber to say you do not know a person or a place. For those, you must use no conozco, as the language distinguishes between knowing a fact and being acquainted with someone.
- In very informal Spanish texting, users might avoid writing no sé entirely and instead use the phrase npi. This is an acronym for ni puta idea, a vulgar way to say 'no fucking idea'.
- While no sé means 'I don't know', the word sé is a homonym for the imperative form of the verb ser, which means 'to be'. Depending on the context, sé can be a command telling someone to 'be' a certain way.
Examples in context
- ¿Quién fue el primer presidente de esta nación? – Desconozco la respuesta.Who was the first president of this nation? – I am unaware of the answer.
- Oye, ¿has visto a María? – No sé dónde está.Hey, have you seen María? – I don't know where she is.
- ¿Cómo se llama esta canción? – Ni idea, pero suena bien.What's the name of this song? – No idea, but it sounds good.
- No sé qué hora es.I don't know what time it is.
- Lo siento, no sé la respuesta.I'm sorry, I don't know the answer.
- No sé dónde dejé mis llaves.I don't know where I left my keys.
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are texting about dinner plans.
- Mateo¿A qué hora cenamos?What time are we having dinner?
- SofíaNo sé, pregóntale a tu madre.Idk, ask your mother.
- MateoElla tampoco sabe.She doesn't know either.
- SofíaEntonces no sé cuándo comeremos.Then idk when we'll eat.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry no sé, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
