Which one should you use?
The different forms of this expression vary based on the level of politeness and the setting. In casual, colloquial speech, you might hear the contraction よく分かんない. To express the same idea more formally, you can use よく分かりません.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In professional or formal settings, you should use the polite form よく分かりません instead of the default. For a version that is polite without being overly stiff, you can use わからないです. For casual conversation, わからない is a common informal expression. In even more informal, colloquial speech, the variation よくわかんない is used.
How do you pronounce it?
yoku wakaranai
When do people say it?
If you need to soften your uncertainty or sound more polite when you are unsure, you can precede your statement with phrases like 申し訳ありませんが (I'm sorry, but) or すみませんが (Excuse me, but).
Did you know?
- When you want to be extremely indirect, Japanese speakers often use 'it is difficult' (難しいです – muzukashii desu) instead of saying they are 'not sure' about a request.
- In Japanese social dynamics, saying よく分からない can be a polite way to signal that the speaker disagrees with you without saying 'no' directly.
- The verb inside this phrase, 分かる (wakaru), does not actually mean 'to know' as a state of being, but rather 'to become clear' or 'to be understood'.
Examples in context
- まだよく分からないな。I'm not sure yet.This sentence shows how to use the phrase to say you are not sure yet.Tatoeba #11583972 by bunbuku, translation #2549310 by CK
- 幸か不幸かよく分からないけどね。I'm not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.This sentence uses the phrase to express uncertainty about whether something was good or bad.Tatoeba #11535775 by small_snow, translation #6831638 by CK
- その理由はよく分からないんだけどね。I'm not sure why that is.This sentence uses the phrase to express uncertainty regarding a reason.Tatoeba #11890708 by small_snow, translation #10068624 by sundown
- 申し訳ありませんが、それについては分かりませんI'm sorry, but I don't know about that.
- お手伝いできるかどうか、わかりませんI'm not sure if I can help or not.
- どこに行くべきか、全然わからないI have no idea where I should go.
- それ、正直よくわかんないんだけどTo be honest, I really don't know about that.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yota and Yui are looking at a map together.
- 陽太 Yotaここがどこか、よく分からない。Koko ga doko ka, yoku wakaranai.I'm not sure where this is.
- 結衣 Yui地図をもう一度見てみようか。Chizu o mō ichido mite miyō ka.Shall we look at the map again?
- 陽太 Yotaうん。道が複雑でよく分からないな。Un. Michi ga fukuzatsu de yoku wakaranai na.Yeah. The roads are complex, so I'm not sure.
- 結衣 Yui誰かに聞いてみよう。Dareka ni kiite miyō.Let's ask someone.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
