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Juan
Hi, my question is: you say "i don´t really know" or "i really don´t know" or "i don´know really"?
Where do i have to put the adverb?, thank´s community:D
Feb 10, 2017 11:55 PM
Answers · 6
5
All three are usable, and have different meanings.
"I really don't know" - 'really' emphasizes the word "don't". The speaker is pointing out that they don't know the fact at all.
"I don't really know" - 'really' emphasizes the word 'know'. The speaker might have an idea of what is happening, but isn't certain.
"I don't know really" - 'really' acts as a "filler" word. The sentence "I don't know" sounds short and rough/blunt, so it is rounded out by adding 'really', even though it carries no significant meaning. This kind of speech would be fairly common in an informal setting. The overall meaning is essentially the same as the second sentence.
February 11, 2017
Thanks Alison, yes it does!
February 11, 2017
But note - as Zach Smith has explained - it's fine to say 'I don't know, really'. In this case, you can add 'really' at the end of your statement, as a filler. In this case, it means the same as 'I don't really know'. Both of these mean that you are unsure.
Also, as Zach says, while 'I really don't know' and 'I don't really know' are both correct, the meanings are different.
February 11, 2017
Both "I really don't know" and "I don't really know" are correct. "I don't know really" is incorrect.
Hope that helped! :)
February 11, 2017
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Juan
Language Skills
Dutch, English, Esperanto, French, Spanish
Learning Language
Dutch, English, Esperanto, French
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