Recherche parmi différents professeurs en Anglais…
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
10 févr. 2017 23:55
Réponses · 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.
11 février 2017
Thanks Alison, yes it does!
11 février 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.
11 février 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! :)
11 février 2017
Vous n'avez pas encore trouvé vos réponses ?
Écrivez vos questions et profitez de l'aide des locuteurs natifs !
Juan
Compétences linguistiques
Néerlandais, Anglais, Espéranto, Français, Espagnol
Langue étudiée
Néerlandais, Anglais, Espéranto, Français
Articles qui pourraient te plaire

Same Word, Different Meaning: American, British, and South African English
23 j'aime · 17 Commentaires

How to Sound Confident in English (Even When You’re Nervous)
19 j'aime · 13 Commentaires

Marketing Vocabulary and Phrases for Business English Learners
16 j'aime · 6 Commentaires
Plus d'articles
