Home › Japanese › Glossary › i dont know the answer
Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "i dont know the answer" in Japanese?
答えはわかりません
kotae hawakarimasen
In Japanese, "i dont know the answer" is 答えはわかりません (kotae hawakarimasen).
Listen to the pronunciation:
Free Japanese learning game. No sign-up, play in browser. See all games
Pronunciation
Say koh-TAH-eh hah wah-kah-ree-mah-sen, with kotae, meaning answer, getting the clear first stress before the long negative ending.
Writing and usage
答えはわかりません is written using kanji. It's a phrase, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.
Example sentence
i dont know the answer
Test your Japanese knowledge in our free browser games.
How to remember 答えはわかりません
Kotae sounds like 'co-tie' — picture a tied game where nobody knows the answer to who really won.
Related words
- how do you spell that どう綴るんだ? dou tsuzuru nda?
- what does this word mean この言葉はどういう意味ですか kono kotoba hadouiu imi desuka
- can you explain this これについて説明してもらえますか? korenitsuite setsumeishi temoraemasuka?
- can you help me with my homework 宿題手伝ってくれる? shukudai tetsudatsu tekureru?
- whats the word for その言葉は何を意味するのか sono kotoba ha naniwo imi surunoka
- how do you pronounce this これ、どう発音するんだ? kore, dou hatsuon surunda?
- can you correct me 訂正してもらえますか? teisei shitemoraemasuka?
- i made a mistake 間違いを犯しました machigai wo okashi mashita
- lets practice together 一緒に練習しよう isshoni renshuu shiyou
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about 答えはわかりません
How do you pronounce 答えはわかりません?
Say koh-TAH-eh hah wah-kah-ree-mah-sen, with kotae, meaning answer, getting the clear first stress before the long negative ending.
Is 答えはわかりません formal or casual?
答えはわかりません is a common everyday expression. Context and tone of voice matter more than the words themselves for how formal it sounds.
How is 答えはわかりません written in Japanese?
答えはわかりません is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as kotae hawakarimasen.
Where can I practice Japanese words for free?
You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"I dont know the answer" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.
Noun Town on PC, Mac & VR
These browser games are just a taste. The full Noun Town is a bigger, deeper 3D world: explore a living town, talk to its characters and learn thousands of words in immersive VR, Mixed Reality, or on your computer. It's an award-winning game with 590+ reviews on Steam and 12 languages to learn.
See the full game ▶Spot an error? Email us at contact@noun.town