不知

• Pinyin: bù zhī
• Hanzi breakdown: 不 = not; 知 = 矢 (arrow) + 口 (mouth), meaning to know — arrows are swift and accurate, symbolizing knowledge

Meaning

To not know; unaware of; wonder. Often used to introduce questions or express uncertainty.

Can function as a polite way to ask questions (不知您能否...) or to express genuine ignorance. Also appears in rhetorical expressions like 不知所措 (at a loss) or 不知好歹 (not knowing good from bad). More formal than 不知道.

Examples

1. 不知这件事您是否已经知晓？ I wonder if you are already aware of this matter?
2. 面对突如其来的变化，他一时不知所措。 Faced with the sudden changes, he was momentarily at a loss.
3. 不知从什么时候开始，我们之间变得生疏了。 I don't know when it started, but we've grown distant from each other.

Usage Guide

Context: questions, uncertainty, literary

Tone: polite

Do Say

• 不知您方便吗？(I wonder if it's convenient for you?)
• 不知何故，计划取消了。(For some unknown reason, the plan was canceled.)

Don't Say

• 我不知他叫什么。(In casual speech, use 不知道 — 不知 alone sounds overly literary)

Origin & History

不 (not) + 知 (to know). A classical and more condensed form of 不知道.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal