English–Chinese
“little did i know” in Chinese
Chinese
Pronunciation
Pinyinnǎ zhī dào
Example
我以为一切都好，哪知道出了问题。wǒ yǐ wéi yí qiè dōu hǎo nǎ zhī dào chū le wèn tí
I thought everything was fine, but little did I know that a problem had come up.
How to say “little did i know” in Chinese
“Little did i know” in Chinese is 哪知道 (nǎ zhī dào).
The speaker moves from what seemed likely to what actually happens, with a sudden turn in the story.
Example sentences with 哪知道
我去找他，哪知道已经走了。wǒ qù zhǎo tā nǎ zhī dào yǐ jīng zǒu le
I went to look for him, but little did I know that he had already left.
Tips for using 哪知道
- Its natural position is right after an expectation or plan, making the change in direction sound immediate and conversational rather than formal.