je ne sais pas
/ʒə n(ə) sɛ pa/
In French, je ne sais pas means "I don't know".
The phrase je ne sais pas is used to state that the speaker does not have the information or answer requested.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of je (I), ne…pas (not), and sais (know).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
je ne sais pas is a common way to say "I don't know" in formal settings. In spoken, informal French, the ne is almost always dropped, resulting in je sais pas.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "I don't know anything" instead of just "I don't know", you can replace pas with rien.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒə n(ə) sɛ pa/
Did you know?
- The word pas literally means 'a step'. In the phrase je ne sais pas, it originally meant the speaker did not know the answer by 'even one step'.
- The word sais comes from the verb savoir, which specifically refers to factual knowledge. For knowing a person or a place, French speakers must use a different verb, connaître.
- In many spoken French dialects, you might hear the phrase shortened even further to chais pas, where the 'je' and 'sais' merge into a single sound.
Examples in context
- Quelle est la capitale de l'Espagne? Je ne sais pas.What is the capital of Spain? I don't know.
- Est-ce qu'il va pleuvoir demain? Je n'en ai aucune idée.Will it rain tomorrow? I have no idea.
- Tu sais où on va ce soir? J'en ai aucune idée.Do you know where we're going tonight? I have no idea.
- T'as vu où j'ai posé mes clés? Je sais pas du tout.Have you seen where I put my keys? I have no idea at all.
- Je ne sais pas où sont mes clés.I do not know where my keys are.
- Je ne sais pas si elle vient demain.I do not know if she is coming tomorrow.
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are looking for a restaurant.
- LucasLéa, est-ce que ce restaurant est ouvert ?Léa, is this restaurant open?
- LéaJe ne sais pas, regardons sur internet.I don't know, let's look on the internet.
- LucasC'est une bonne idée.That is a good idea.
- LéaOui, je vérifie maintenant.Yes, I am checking now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry je ne sais pas, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, ne, pas, CC BY-SA 4.0.
