Learn English: 20 ways to say "I don't know"

Hey everyone, I'm Alex, thanks for clicking and welcome to this lesson on twenty ways

to say "I don't know".

So, this is a very common sentence in English, and today I'm going to give you a wide variety

of ways to say it and give you some context for a couple of them.

So, let's not waste any time and start with the first way, which is simply - you see it

in the title of the video - "I don't know".

If someone asks you a question and you don't know the answer, "I don't know".

Okay?

You can also say "dunno", or "I dunno, I dunno", alright?

So, let's try saying it the fast way, so repeat after me: I dunno.

Alright?

Good.

These two are linked together, so we'll start with the first one, "I have no clue", okay?

So, you are admitting pure ignorance.

You have no idea, no clue.

So, repeat after me, if I say, "Hey, what's the capital of Burkina Faso?"

"I have no clue."

I really don't.

Hi, Burkina Faso, I love you.

Okay.

I have no idea.

So, repeat after me: I have no idea.

Okay?

So, what's the population of, I don't know, like Reykjavík, Iceland?

I have no idea.

It seems like it would be 500,000 people, maybe a million, three million?

I don't know, I have no idea, okay?

Hi, Iceland, I love you too.

Okay.

Next, "I haven't the faintest idea".

So, the faintest means, like, the smallest idea.

It's another way to say, "I have no idea", and it's a way to say, "I don't have the faintest

idea".

I haven't the faintest idea.

This is very British.

If you have watched my other videos, I've probably told you, you know, say, "No, you

can't say 'I haven't' to a question with 'Do you have?'".

In British English, you can.

But here, we're using British English.

You can use this in Canada, in the US, in Australia.

I haven't the faintest idea.

Not even the smallest clue, okay?

You could also say, "The faintest clue".

It's possible.

Next, I really, I can't say.

Okay?

So, I can't say.

Not because it's a secret.

I can't say because I don't know, okay?

So, repeat after me: I can't say.

Okay?

So, hey, when is Joanna's birthday?

I really can't say.

I have no idea.

Okay?

Next, someone comes to you with a question and you really have no clue, no idea.

You don't know why this person thinks you know, so you say, "How should I know?"

How should I know, right?

"Hey, do you know how much Bob is getting paid?"

"How should I know?

That's Bob's - you know, that's Bob's business, that's not my business.

How should I know?"

Alright?

And next, you are so lost, you don't know how anyone could know this.

So, if someone asks you a question like, I don't know, "Hey, how much does a Ford Taurus

weigh from 1994?"

"Oh, who knows?"

Who cares, more importantly, right?

So, the weight of a car from 1994, the Ford Taurus, for example.

Who knows, it's not important, or I don't know, okay?

And again, you want this person to leave you alone.

Just don't ask me.

I don't know.

Don't ask me.

Ask someone else, okay?

Next, these two go together.

Beats me.

Like it, it beats me.

That means the information, the correct answer is stronger than I am.

I don't know the answer, so "Beats me".

Repeat after me: beats me.

Search me.

Like, the answer is not here in my pockets.

It's nowhere.

I don't have the answer.

You can search everywhere around me.

The answer is not here.

You will not find the answer here.

Stop asking me, Rob!

Okay?

Sorry.

Love you, Rob and everyone else.

Okay.

And here, let's go: That's anyone's guess.

Like, nobody knows, okay?

Like, if you want to say, nobody knows or anyone can say something and maybe they're

right, so if you say, "Hey, do you know when", let's see, something about vacation and Roseanne,

"do you know when Roseanne is going on vacation?"

Well, that's anyone's guess.

Like, Roseanne - that's her schedule.

Nobody knows her schedule except Roseanne.

Why aren't you talking to Roseanne, Rob?

Rob!

Alright.

Your guess is as good as mine.

Listen, it's obvious you don't know and I'm telling you I don't know, okay?

So, your guess - the answer to the question, Rob - is as good as mine.

Okay?

So, your guess is as good as mine.

We both have the same level of knowledge.

You don't know, I don't know, nobody knows, okay?

I wish I knew.

I don't know.

I wish I knew.

Okay?

So, how much longer is this going to take, right?

You're driving somewhere and there's lots of traffic and it's hot and you have nothing

to drink in the car and the next gas station is 50 kilometers away and, you know, your

partner or your kids ask you, "Hey, how much longer are we going to be driving?"

"I wish I knew, kids.

I wish I knew."

I don't know.

Okay?

Next, similar idea.

I wish I could tell you.

I want to tell you, but I don't know, so I can't.

I wish I could tell you, right?

Like, that's it.

Alright.

So guys, let's repeat these two after me and really, like, sound like you're super just,

tired and you don't want people to ask you anymore questions.

So, just - it helps if you like, if your eyes look like they're dead and you just say: I

wish I knew.

I wish I could tell you.

Yeah, it hurts right here.

Okay.

Next, "I'd love to tell you, but I honestly don't know", okay?

So, really, really like, I would love to tell you, but I don't have the answer.

So, why are you still asking me this question?

"Hey, do you know Aunt Judy's shoe size?"

"I would love to tell you, but I don't know.

I haven't seen Aunt Judy since Uncle Bob's funeral five years ago.

I don't know."

Okay?

Next, "I'm probably not the best person to ask about this", right?

Like, that is not my specialty.

"Hey, do you know the density of a black hole?"

"I'm probably not the best person to ask."

I don't even know if black holes have density, so I'm repeating something that sounds scientific.

Sorry if you know what I'm talking about.

So, I'm probably not the best person to ask like, a complicated math question or a physics

question.

If you have an English question, I can probably help you.

If you have a math question, a trigonometry question, I'm probably not the best person

to ask.

Okay?

Alright.

Now you get into not totally "I don't know", but kind of "I don't know", so let's go.

"I'm not really sure."

Okay?

So, I have an opinion.

I have an idea, but I'm not really sure about this, okay?

So, "Hey, how much does this cost?"

"I'm not really sure.

Maybe it's five dollars, but I'm not really sure."

Okay?

So, repeat after me.

This is a very useful phrase: I'm not really sure.

Okay.

And another way, kind of like "I'm not really sure", but you want to say something else.

So, "I can't say for sure, but..."

Okay?

And you want to give an opinion, so, "Hey, how much does this cost?"

"I can't really say, there's no price tag, but I've had experience with this product

in the past, or similar products, but I think it's probably around $20.00."

Okay, so I can't really say, but I'm not really sure.

I can't say for sure, but maybe it's this.

Okay?

And here's a very politically correct answer if you want to, you know, say that you are

ignorant of something and you need more information before you state your opinion.

Actually, more people on the internet would probably be wise to use this phrase instead

of, "Yeah, it's this, even though I have no information to support my argument, but my

argument is very emotional and therefore it is correct!"

So, "I haven't heard enough about that to form an opinion."

Or, "I don't know enough about that topic to form an opinion."

Okay, so if someone is asking you a question about, for example, a war that is happening

in a specific part of the world.

And they want to know, "Hey, what do you think about that?

Yeah, what do you think about that political situation?"

And you say like, "Well listen, I honestly don't know enough.

I haven't heard enough.

I haven't read enough about that to form an opinion.

Anything I say would just be word garbage."

Okay?

So, let's not ask me that question.

And if you just want to, you know, take no responsibility for your answer for an opinion,

you can just say, "Ask someone else", okay?

I don't know, just ask someone else.

Please, please Rob, stop asking.

Alright?

And a little bonus for you guys: Hey, have you Googled it?

Okay, have you checked Google?

Google knows everything, pretty much.

Google knows where you live.

Google has taken a picture of your house and your car and probably your family, okay?

So, if they have that level of information, they can probably tell you that the capital

of Venezuela is Caracas, okay?

So, you can Google it, Rob.

Just Google it, alright?

Alright.

Hi to all the Robs out there.

Even if your name is not Rob.

Even if your name is Rosalie, Matilda, Mahmud, Mohammad, whatever your name is, hi everyone.

And just - you can ask me questions, just ask me questions about stuff I know, please,

please.

Alright.

After today, I hope you have a lot more confidence and now you have a lot more vocabulary and

set phrases that you can use to talk to people and to show them how much things - how many

things you don't know.

But you know how to say that you don't know and that is something that you now know.

You got it?

Okay, good.

Alright.

If you want to test your understanding of all this amazing vocabulary that we have learned

today, as always, you can check out the quiz on www.engvid.com . Also don't forget to subscribe

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Whew, till next time, thanks for clicking, guys!