Hi and welcome to the Espresso English Podcast, where you can improve your English in just a few minutes a day.
My name is Shaina and I'm the teacher at Espresso English.
Make sure to visit the website EspressoEnglishnet, where you can get online courses and e-books that will help you learn English even faster.
Let's get started with today's lesson.
Do you often say I don't know in English?
Let's learn some better phrases.
Native speakers use lots of different expressions depending on the situation.
So today I'll teach you 15 natural ways to say I don't know from more casual to more professional.
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It also comes with audio so you can hear the phrases and train your pronunciation.
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Okay, so instead of I don't know, you could say I'm not sure or I'm not certain.
That's a little softer and more polite.
For example, what time is the next bus?
I'm not sure, but they usually come about every 10 minutes.
Our next phrase is, I have no idea.
That's stronger.
It means you completely don't know.
I have no idea where she went.
She didn't tell me anything.
Another strong and informal phrase is, I have no clue.
I have no clue where my sunglasses are.
I've been looking for them all day.
A super casual and conversational expression is beats me.
Why is the road closed?
Beats me.
You could also say who knows when nobody really knows.
Is it going to rain this weekend?
Who knows?
A funny one is, your guess is as good as mine.
For example, what time will he be home from the party?
Your guess is as good as mine.
It means we could both guess because we both don't know the answer.
Another phrase is, I haven't got the faintest idea.
That emphasizes total confusion.
I haven't got the faintest idea how this machine works.
This phrase could be a little confusing.
You could say, I couldn't tell you.
This doesn't mean you're not allowed to tell.
It means you simply don't know.
You don't have the information.
And that's why you couldn't tell the other person.
For example, Were there a lot of people at the concert?
I couldn't tell you.
I wasn't there.
Now, when it comes to saying I don't know, in a business or professional situation, we often use a phrase that implies we will try to find the information or discover the answer.
For example, That's a good question.
We often use this phrase to buy time, meaning to get a little time before answering.
So you can say that's a good question and think for a moment about your answer, then give an answer.
Or you can say that's a good question and then continue with the phrase like I'm not sure, or one of the next phrases we'll use.
You could say, let me check on that or let me double check.
That means you are going to find the information or confirm the information.
You could say, I'll need to look into it.
Look into means to investigate or research.
So this one implies that further investigation is needed, and it might take more time than just a quick check.
Another good phrase is, I don't have the details in front of me.
This means you have the information but it's not immediately available.
When you want to redirect the question to another person who knows more, you could say I'm not the best person to answer that, but Sarah would know.
You could also say I don't have a definitive answer yet, when the answer is still in the process of being resolved or worked on.
So you can't say it with certainty yet.
And finally, I'll have to get back to you on that.
This simply means you will give the person an answer later.
There you go!
Now you know lots of ways to say I don't know in English, so you can sound natural and competent even when you can't answer a question.
You can learn lots more real phrases used by native English speakers inside my Everyday English Speaking courses.
Level 1 of the course teaches you practical phrases for daily life, and Level 2 teaches you more advanced expressions.
Learn more and join the courses by clicking on the link in the video description.
If you want more great English lessons, visit EspressoEnglishnet, where you can sign up by email to receive a free e-book with 500 plus real English phrases.
You'll also find online courses to help you improve your English fast, even if you don't have much time to study.
Keep practicing your English and I hope you have a wonderful day!
