Hello everyone, and welcome to another video in our series of expressions
that will impress the native English speakers you talk to.
I'm Abbe, your English teacher, and today I'll be giving you 20 different expressions
to use instead of saying, "I don't know."
Plus one important question to ask yourself before you use them.
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Alright! Let's get started.
First I want to give you some neutral expressions
that you can use anytime you don't have the answer to a question someone asks you.
That's a good question.
Great question.
These are nice because they are pretty subtle ways to say that you don't know.
Plus, they flatter the person who asked the question.
You can also say:
I'm not sure.
I can't remember.
I don't have the slightest idea.
This one is mostly used in the US, whereas:
I haven't the faintest (or the foggiest) idea.
Is used more often in the UK.
Now, for some more casual expressions.
As always, a warning that these are best for conversations
with close friends and family, and should not be used in the workplace.
Stay tuned, though, because in just a minute I will give you some expressions for more formal contexts.
Beats me.
That one is particularly idiomatic
and can help you sound fluent in situations where you don't have an answer.
I dunno.
This is really just the result of English speakers slurring their words together.
So you might not hear the difference between this expression and "I don't know."
But sometimes people write it this way as well, so it is worth knowing.
How should I know?
Who knows.
Don't ask me.
Don't look at me.
No idea.
No clue.
Your guess is as good as mine.
What do you think?
Just be careful with that last one,
because sometimes people use it sarcastically when the answer is obvious:
"What do YOU think?"
Here's a bonus tip: if you are texting or writing a very informal email,
you can also use the acronym "IDK" as a shortcut.
Great! Pick a few of those that you like and
add them as new flashcards to your MosaLingua app
so that you can start committing them to your long-term memory.
Now you definitely want to avoid saying "I don't know" in professional settings.
Especially if you work in customer service.
If someone comes to you for help and you aren't able to give them an answer,
they may take their business elsewhere, and you may have to find a new job.
So here are a few more professional ways to say that you don't know
but you will ask someone who does or find out.
I'm not the best person to answer that.
Let me find out for you.
I'll look into it.
Let me think about that.
I'll have to double-check.
And, lastly:
What I do know is...
This is a clever way to get around the question
without providing a direct answer but by providing related information.
Now that you know at least 20 different ways to say that you don't know something,
before you use them in conversation, I would urge you to really think about
why you want to say "I don't know" in the first place.
Is it really because you don't know the answer? Or is it because
you don't feel like you have the vocabulary or grammar you need to respond?
Perhaps you're feeling lazy and it's an easy way out?
Shame on you!
Or maybe you didn't understand the question in the first place.
"I really don't know the answer!"
If it's the first case and you truly don't know,
go ahead and test out your favorites from that list of expressions that I just gave you.
"I don't know enough vocabulary/grammar"
if it's the second case, try to work with whatever vocabulary and grammar structures
you do know, and come up with some sort of answer.
Even if it isn't perfect
and even if you have to play a sort of guessing game
with the person you're speaking to.
Taking risks will pay off.
You will most likely learn something from the experience
and getting around vocabulary or conjugations that you don't know
is a great skill for learners at any level to have.
So it's worth practicing.
"I am lazy or bored"
If it's the third case and you're just being lazy,
this may be a sign that learning a language is becoming a chore,
something that you don't enjoy anymore.
So find a way to get your motivation and interest back.
That might mean taking a break from speaking and working on a different skill.
Like listening, with your favorite podcast or TV show, for example.
It might also mean setting a new goal.
I recorded a video a while ago about what to do if you've lost all motivation to learn languages.
That's a good place to start if you're feeling bored or just discouraged,
because I talked about these and other strategies to help you get unstuck.
"I didn't understand the question"
If it's the fourth case and you didn't understand the question,
go watch my video about how to tell someone that you didn't understand
without using the somewhat rude expression "What?"
Saying "I don't know" in this situation can end the conversation,
when if only you had understood the question it could have kept going.
I really hope that you will find these expressions and strategies
useful in your next English conversation.
And I'll talk to you again soon!
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See you next time!