さあ？
sā?
The English phrase 'who knows' can be translated into Japanese as さあ？ (sā?) or …かもしれない.
Meaning: rhetorical question: one doesn't know (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| さあ？ | sā? |
| …かもしれない | …ka mo shirenai |
Japanese has several ways to express uncertainty or the idea of 'who knows' depending on your intent. Use さあ？ as a rhetorical way to express uncertainty or to say 'who knows?' in casual conversation. Use …かもしれない to express the idea that 'it might be' or 'maybe'.
Which one should you use?
While さあ？ expresses 'who knows?' as a rhetorical shrug, the form …かもしれない expresses 'it might be' or 'maybe', which is a statement of possibility rather than a rhetorical question.
How do you pronounce it?
sā?
Did you know?
- The word さあ is also used as an exclamation to urge someone to hurry or to start an action, meaning 'come on' or 'well then'.
- In Japanese, 'who knows' often functions more as a way to avoid making a commitment to an answer than as a way to express true ignorance.
- The 'ka' in かもしれない is actually a question particle, which is why the phrase functions as a way to express a conjecture rather than a hard fact.
Examples in context
- 知らないよ、分かんない。I don't know, who knows.
- そんなこと、知るか！How would I know about that!
- さあ？明日晴れるかな。Saa? Ashita hareru kana.Who knows? I wonder if it will be sunny tomorrow.
- さあ？知らないよ。Saa? Shiranai yo.Who knows? I don't know.
- さあ？結果はまだ分からない。Saa? Kekka wa mada wakaranai.Who knows? The result is still unknown.
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are discussing whether their favorite shop is still open.
- 健太 Kentaあのお店、まだ開いてるかな？Ano omise, mada aiteru kana?I wonder if that shop is still open?
- 結衣 Yuiさあ？聞いてみないとね。Saa? Kiite minaito ne.Who knows? We'll have to ask.
- 健太 Kenta結衣ちゃんは詳しいの？Yui-chan wa kuwashii no?Do you know a lot about it, Yui?
- 結衣 Yuiううん、私も知らないよ。Uun, watashi mo shiranai yo.No, I don't know either.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “who knows” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
