我不知道
wǒ bù zhīdào
The English phrase "I don't know" is translated into Chinese as 我不知道 (wǒ bù zhīdào).
我不知道 is the most common and standard way to say "I don't know" in Chinese and can be used in any formal situation.
Meaning: I don’t know (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 我 (I), 不 (not) and 知道 (to know).
Which one should you use?
While 我不知道 is the standard, you might use 不清楚 to express uncertainty or lack of clarity or 不了解 to indicate a lack of understanding or familiarity with a topic. In colloquial Mandarin, you can also use 不晓得.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, a common regional variation used in Hong Kong and parts of Guangdong Province, 'I don't know' can be expressed as 唔知 or 唔知道.
How do you pronounce it?
wǒ bù zhīdào
Did you know?
- In Chinese, there is a distinction between 知道 (knowing a fact) and 认识 (knowing a person). If you don't know someone, saying 我不知道 would sound like you don't know they exist, rather than not being acquainted with them.
- In high-pressure professional environments, some employees avoid saying 我不知道 to save face. Instead, they might say 我确认一下 ('let me confirm') even if they have no idea.
- While 知道 means 'to know', its components literally mean 'knowledge' and 'road'. It implies that one has found the path to a piece of information.
Examples in context
- 我不知道该选谁。I don't know who to choose.This is useful for expressing a lack of knowledge regarding a choice.Tatoeba #1372508 by sadhen, translation #2478653 by Hybrid
- 我不知道他的姓。I don't know his last name.This is useful for expressing that you do not know a specific piece of information like a surname.Tatoeba #4815106 by McMeao, translation #4813082 by Hybrid
- 我不知道他在哪。I don't know where he is.This is useful for expressing that you do not know a person's location.Tatoeba #8091335 by jenny5752, translation #7590720 by CH
- 我不知道。(Wǒ bù zhī dào.)I don't know.
- 188 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Yuting are talking about a movie time.
- 志强 Zhiqiang电影几点开始？Diànyǐng jǐdiǎn kāishǐ?What time does the movie start?
- 雨婷 Yuting我不知道。Wǒ bù zhīdào.I don't know.
- 志强 Zhiqiang你没看票吗？Nǐ méi kàn piào ma?Didn't you check the ticket?
- 雨婷 Yuting我忘了看。Wǒ wàngle kàn.I forgot to look.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I don't know” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
