STOP saying I don’t know! | Speak English like a native (12 alternatives)

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Okay, so in this particular lesson, we learn to  look at other ways to say "I don't know." Okay,  

so when somebody asks us a question, we can say  simply, I don't know, I don't know what you want  

to do. But there are many other ways in which  you can use it. So we're going to look at this  

and this advanced English lesson. Alternatives  are options. How you can say, I don't know. Now,  

some of them will be formal, some of them  will be informal. And some we might regard as  

slang. So I'll try to identify each of  those when we go through them. Okay,  

so as always, I've got a list of 12. I'm going  to give you the list. And then we'll go back  

through them to give you a situation  and an example when you can use them.

So here it goes. Number one, I have no idea.  

I haven't the foggiest. I have no clue. I  haven't got a clue. Or I'm clueless. So when  

we talk about clue we can use it in any way. I  have no clue. I haven't a clue, or I'm clueless.

Dunno. Your guess is as good as  mine. It beats me. Don't ask me.  

I'm not sure. That's a good question. I  look into it and I'll get back to you.

Great question. Let's look at that.  

Who knows? Or how would I know? Okay, so there  the 12 alternatives to say, I don't know.

I'm going to go through them one by one, tell  you whether they are formal or informal slang.  

And then we'll give you an example.

So the first one, I have no idea.  

Now, this is probably quite neutral,  actually. It's not really formal.  

But it's not neither informal either. So it's  a little bit neutral. So if somebody asks you,

what are you going to do today? I have no  idea I have, I've just got home from work.  

I was working that late shift. So  I've really no idea what I'm going  

to do do today. So let me have a bit of  breakfast. And we'll talk about it later.

Where are the kids? Well, have no idea. They  went out earlier around with their friends  

said they'll be back in time for tea, so we'll  have to wait and see where they are. I tried  

to text them but they didn't take their  mobile phones with them. I have no idea.

Second one is a little bit more informal.  And it's I haven't the foggiest.

Now, fog is when something we... we can't see  through. It's a weather condition when the  

night has been warm in the morning is cold and  you get this air trapped and you create this  

fog and you can't see through it. So this is what  we mean when we say I haven't the foggiest means  

I have no idea. I don't know. But  it's quite informal. Yeah. Okay.

So what are you going to do when your tax  disc runs out with the car? Are you going to  

renew it or are you going to sell the car?  I haven't the foggiest. I really don't want  

to pay all that money again because I really  don't use the car. But at the moment, I haven't  

the foggiest, but I think about over the next  couple of weeks, and then I'll make my decision.

What would you like for dinner tonight?  

I haven't the foggiest. I mean, I'd  like something different. You know,  

when you get that sort of taste for something  a little different than we usually have. But I  

don't know what I want. I haven't the foggiest.  So again, I don't know. I haven't any idea.

Now, the next to say the three options  we're talking about clue. I haven't a  

clue. I have no clue. Or I'm clueless. So a clue  is something that will help you solve a problem.

When the detective looks into a murder  or some robbery they are looking for  

clues to so they would point them in the  direction of who committed the crime.

But when you say I haven't a clue means I have  no idea. I have no clue. Again. I have no idea  

or I'm clueless. Okay, so yeah, though, if you  want... What's the boss wants to have that meeting  

about? He's sent around an email a few minutes  ago and we have to assemble in the boardroom at  

five o'clock. But on five o'clock on a Friday, it  must be something serious. Do you... Do you know  

what's going on? I haven't a clue. I have no clue.  I'm clueless just like you, I like to wait until I  

get to the meeting. Okay, so obviously a serious  if the boss calls for a meeting at five o'clock  

on a Friday, but you don't know, you haven't the  information. So you say, Well, I have no clue.  

I haven't got a clue or I haven't a clue,  or I'm completely clueless. Yeah. Okay.

Now, you can always refer to somebody as they  have no clue what they're doing. They haven't  

a clue as to how to do it. They are clueless.  So we can use it in that way as a sort of a  

criticism of the work somebody does or  the at their inability to do something  

that you've asked them to do is clueless.

Next is very, very informal dunno. That  means I don't know, but we use dunno. Yeah,  

that's like wanna and gonna, one of  these Americanisations. Yeah. So yeah.

What you're going to do at the weekend? Dunno.  

What are you going to do after dinner? Dunno. What  are you going to do about those results you got in  

your exam? Dunno. Typical of what a child might  say to you when you're looking for information.

And all the only response you get is dunno,  dunno, dunno can be really annoying and get  

right under your skin. But it's  a classic response. I don't know,  

dunno. Do you know anything? Dunno.  So always that dunno, I don't know.

Next, your guess is as good as mine.  So this is a little bit more formal,  

your guess is as good as mine. Really what it  means is, you have every bit of information  

that I have, you have as much information  as I have. So your guess is as good as mine.

So we go back to that meeting of the boss at five  o'clock on a Friday, and your guy... friend says  

to you or your colleague says to you, Do you know  what's going on? What's the meeting about? Well,  

your guess is as good as mine. Meaning, I can  guess what it might be about but you could make  

the same guess because you've all got the same  information. Your guess is as good as mine.

Okay, what are the local council going to do with  that wasteland at the end of the street, they put  

big sign up, and they put big boards around  it. So they're obviously getting ready for  

something. But your guess is as good as mine. You  know what they are like here, they never tell you  

in advance. So they'll probably start building. It  could be a school, it could be a shopping centre,  

it could be apartments, we're in big  need of apartments around here. So  

you never know with the council. So the boarding  has gone up, we're just going to have to wait  

and see for a few months, when they start  digging the ground up and putting in the  

foundations. We might get an idea then. But at  the moment, well, your guess is as good as mine.

Next, it beats me. So a little  bit more informal. It beats me.  

So when we use it beats me, it  means I'm defeated literally.  

Yeah. So I really don't know. I'm trying to work  out what the answer is, but it beats me. Yeah.

So again, if we're talking about the corporation,  what are they going to do with the vacant site in  

the centre of this the town or at the end of  the street? Do you know what they're doing?  

Whoa, it beats me. I mean, I've been trying  to work it out now for a couple of days. So it  

beats me means I'm defeated. I've scratched my  head. I'm trying to think of what it might be,  

we'll just have to wait and see. I really hope  it's not another shopping centre. Or I really hope  

it's not one of those big glass buildings.  So you won't know. And so at the moment,  

it beats me, meaning I really don't  know. And it's quite informal.

Don't ask me. Well, again, when  somebody says to you, Well,  

what's happening? Don't ask me  so well, they are asking you,  

but they're asking you because they think you  know, but you just respond, Well, don't ask me.  

How would I know? Yeah. So they think you have the  information. They think you know what's going on.

What's... what's wrong with Mary? She's in a  really, really bad mood. She has been like that  

since she got home from university yesterday,  and I can't seem to get through to her. Oh,  

don't ask me! You know what she's like. She  has these little moods from time to time.  

So she'll tell us when she's ready  to tell us. She might have had an  

argument with a friend. She might have fallen  out with a boyfriend again. Who knows? So  

don't ask me. So it's informal. But it's a way  of saying look, I don't know. You don't know.  

We're just going to have to wait and see. So  it's, it beats me. I don't know what's wrong.

I'm not sure. So when we use I'm not sure  there's a little bit of uncertainty here.  

You might have some ideas. But when you say  I'm not sure, well, then it indicates that  

possibly but you don't want to say  exactly because you might be wrong.  

Okay, so if you want to know when, or what  time your babysitter is going to arrive here.

Did you arrange for the babysitter? Yes. I  sent her the message when you asked me to,  

I told her we were going to be  going out at around seven o'clock.  

So what time is she going to get here? Well,  I'm not sure. But she's usually here on time.

So I'm not sure means I'm a little bit uncertain.

What will you get your mother for her birthday?  I'm not sure, you know what she's like. She  

said she doesn't want anything. But in reality,  she would really like something. And anytime we  

give her a present, she's really appreciative  of it. So I'm not sure what we should get.

That's a good question. Now, this is quite  formal. Okay. So at a meeting particular, when  

somebody asks for some information, somebody  wants to know what the strategy is, somebody  

wants to know, what the marketing plan what the  launch of the new product is. So they've got lots  

of questions that they want answers to. So when  you ask the question the boss, he says, that's,  

that's a good question. Now, he might not have a  good answer. He might have no answer, or she might  

have no answer. But that's a good question is  another way of saying, Well, look, I don't know.

So they are responding to your request  for that additional information. Well,  

I don't know. That's a good question.  And I'm really going to have to think  

about it. And I'll come back to you  later, but leave it with me. Okay.

So it's a classic way when somebody  doesn't have the information that you want,  

and it's not a bad way to answer it because at  least they're not going to bullshit you and say...  

give you some answer that you that really isn't  true. So they say, Well, that's a good question.  

But I need to go away and think about it. And I'll  come back to you. I hadn't thought about that,  

or we haven't really got that far yet. But  it's a good question. Let me think about it.

Or I look into it, and we'll  get back to you. So again, when  

somebody asks the boss or the line  manager, but something in particular,  

and if they don't have the information, well, then  again, is better for them to say something like,  

Leave it with me, I look into it, and  I'll get back to you. So that's a good  

classic response. It's quite formal. Leave it with  me, I'll look into it. And I'll get back to you.

And it means Yeah, I'll take it away. I'll  think about it. I'll ask a few people,  

if I need to, I might have to talk to the  HR department or the marketing department or  

somebody else, but I will look into  it, meaning I will investigate it.  

And I will get back to you as my promise.  I'll come back to you with an answer. Okay.

Now, another one. Great question. Let's look  into that. Okay, so great question. Let's look  

into that. Again, another formal way of responding  to somebody. So around the meeting table, at the  

boardroom, wherever it might be that somebody  asks a question or great question. Well, let's,  

let's look at that in a little bit more detail.  So let's look into that. Yeah, so let's examine  

it in a bit more detail. Great question. Let's  look into that. Let's, let's examine it. Okay.

And then finally, who knows. Or how would  I know. So a little bit more informal. And  

usually when somebody says it, they just go, Who  knows? So there's a little bit of a exclamation,  

and it's all about the tone and the intonation in  your voice. Or when you really don't know. Well,  

you're a little bit annoyed that they've asked  you and you've told them time and time again,  

that you don't know. So you respond with that,  How would I know? I mean, I'm the same as you  

are at the same level. Nobody tells me anything  around here anyway. So how would I know that?

So you come home from work, and the kids  are not there and your wife seems to be a  

little bit upset. There's a bit of a problem  and say, Well, where are the kids? Yeah. Oh,  

who knows? They never tell me anything. Yeah.  But you know, they they were here earlier. Yeah,  

they were here earlier. Did they  not say where they were going?  

How would I know? They don't  tell me anything. That.

Something's happened. Somebody's a little bit  annoyed. And then there's a little bit of tension.  

And the response you get is, who knows? How would  I know? So all in the intonation in the voice.

Okay, so let's look at those again quickly. I  have no idea. I really don't know. I haven't  

the foggiest, so I just don't know it all. I  have no clue. I haven't a clue. I'm clueless.  

Dunno. A shrug... shrug of the shoulders.  Dunno. Your guess is as good as mine. Your  

guess is as good as mine. It beats me. Don't  ask me. I'm not sure, bit of uncertainty. I'm  

not sure. That's a good question. I don't  know the answer. But it's a good question.  

I look into it. And I'll get back to you.  I look into it. And I'll get back to you.  

Great question. Let's look into that. And  then finally, who knows? How would I know?

Okay, so all ways, alternative ways to say, I  don't know. Try to pick out a couple of them.  

Try to use them so you're not using the same  expression all the time. So you get a little  

bored with I don't know, I don't know. I don't  know. Try a few of the others tried to see how  

you can use them, introduce them, feel comfortable  with them, and then practice a few others and if  

you need any help or any other suggestions,  of course please come back to me. I really  

appreciate you watching. I really appreciate you  listening. And as always, join me again soon.