How do you say "I dont know" in Japanese? (If you could write it in romaji that would be extremely helpful!!) Basically, my friend was adamant that "nan desuka" meant "I don't know" But I said to him

Emily-Mae

How do you say "I dont know" in Japanese? (If you could write it in romaji that would be extremely helpful!!) Basically, my friend was adamant that "nan desuka" meant "I don't know" But I said to him that it means "what?" Because that's what I've learned ("nan desuka" or "Nani") So my question is, how DO you say "I don't know" ??

Mar 29, 2015 10:15 PM

Answers · 12

shiranai (shirimasen) and wakaranai (wakarimasen) both can mean "I don't know" but there's differences shiranai is closer to 'I'm not familiar with something' or 'I'm not aware of something' wakaranai is closer to 'i don't understand / I don't know right now' so if someone asks you if you're going to go to a party, you might use wakaranai because you don't know at the moment but you know about the party. and if someone were to ask you if you knew your friend had a baby, you might use shiranai in that case in any case, its not nan desuka

March 30, 2015

Shirimasen = negative form of "shiru", to know.

March 29, 2015

shiranai=I don't know. wakaranai=I don't understand.

March 30, 2015

知らないです(shiranai desu) is a simple way of saying you dont know

March 30, 2015

Shirimasen or wakarimasen. I think in certain contexts nan desu ka could be loosely translated into I don't know. Just like in English "what's that?" Means I don't know it. But I think you're right and he's wrong.

March 30, 2015

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