Chinese word

不知

Pronunciation

Pinyinbù zhī

Meaning

  • verbnot know

Example

我不知该怎么办。wǒ bù zhī gāi zěn me bàn

I do not know what to do.

Illustration for 不知 (not know)

More examples

事情发生后，他对原因不知底细。shì qíng fā shēng hòu tā duì yuán yīn bù zhī dǐ xì

After the incident, he did not know the details of its cause.

Core concept

A formal way to mark a gap in knowledge or awareness, covering both not knowing a fact and failing to notice something.

Common phrases

  • 不知如何是好bù zhī rú hé shì hǎo

    not know what to do

  • 不知底细bù zhī dǐ xì

    not know the details

Similar words

不知道bù zhī dào: A common everyday way to say that a fact or piece of information is not known.
不明白bù míng bái: Used when the meaning or situation is unclear and cannot be understood.
不懂bù dǒng: Used when a language, skill, or idea cannot be understood.
不了解bù liáo jiě: Having too little knowledge or information about a matter to know it well.

Definition in Chinese

多用于书面或正式场合的「不知道」，用以陈述对某问题、做法或原因没有把握或无法判断。duō yòng yú shū miàn huò zhèng shì chǎng hé de bù zhī dào yòng yǐ chén shù duì mǒu wèn tí zuò fǎ huò yuán yīn méi yǒu bǎ wò huò wú fǎ pàn duàn

Word origin

不 (bù, "not") + 知 (zhī, "know") forms a direct negation of knowing, a compact pattern preserved in formal and written Chinese.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, this compact form can sound bookish, while a fuller everyday expression is usually more natural for ordinary uncertainty.

Opposites

Related words

  • 不知轻重bù zhī qīng zhòngnot know the seriousness of a situationidiom
  • 不知死活bù zhī sǐ huóbe heedless of life and deathidiom

Word lists with this word