A1 Expression Formell 1 Min. Lesezeit

잘 모르겠습니다.

1756

I don't know well.

Jetzt üben

Phrase in 30 Seconds

A polite and essential way to admit you don't know something or are unsure of a situation.

  • Means: A polite way to say 'I do not know' or 'I am unsure'.
  • Used in: Professional settings, talking to strangers, or when you need to be humble.
  • Don't confuse: Avoid using the plain form '몰라' with superiors as it sounds rude.
Polite bow + 'I don't know' = Respectful uncertainty

Erklärung auf deinem Niveau:

This is a polite way to say 'I don't know'. Use it when you talk to teachers or new people.
This expression combines the adverb 'well' with the verb 'to not know'. It is used to soften the negative answer, making it appropriate for formal social interactions.
In Korean, the '-겠-' suffix adds a layer of conjecture or polite distance. By saying '잘 모르겠습니다', you are not just stating a fact, but expressing a polite inability to provide information.
This phrase is a cornerstone of Korean pragmatic competence. It functions as a face-saving strategy, allowing the speaker to maintain a humble stance while navigating hierarchical power dynamics in professional or unfamiliar social contexts.
The phrase exemplifies the intersection of morphology and social pragmatics. The inclusion of the '-겠-' infix serves to mitigate the illocutionary force of the negative response, aligning with the cultural imperative of 'Chemyon' (face).
From a cognitive linguistics perspective, '잘 모르겠습니다' functions as a conventionalized hedging device. It minimizes the speaker's agency in the ignorance, thereby preserving the interpersonal equilibrium. The use of the formal '-(스)ㅂ니다' register reinforces the social distance required in formal discourse.

Bedeutung

Expressing uncertainty or lack of knowledge about something.

🌍

Kultureller Hintergrund

Politeness is key.

💡

Politeness

Always use this with strangers.

💡

Politeness

Always use this with strangers.

Teste dich selbst

Which is the most polite?

How to say 'I don't know' to a boss?

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: 잘 모르겠습니다

This is the formal polite form.

🎉 Ergebnis: /1

Visuelle Lernhilfen

Aufgabensammlung

2 Aufgaben
Wähle die richtige Antwort Fill Blank

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort:
Which is the most polite? Choose A1

How to say 'I don't know' to a boss?

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: 잘 모르겠습니다

This is the formal polite form.

🎉 Ergebnis: /2

Häufig gestellte Fragen

1 Fragen

No, it's too formal.

Verwandte Redewendungen

🔗

잘 몰라요

similar

I don't know (polite)

Wo du es verwendest

🗺️

Asking for directions

You: 실례합니다, 시청이 어디입니까?

Local: 잘 모르겠습니다.

formal
💼

Work meeting

Boss: 이 프로젝트 언제 끝납니까?

You: 아직 잘 모르겠습니다.

formal

Einprägen

Eselsbrücke

Imagine bowing (polite) while saying 'I don't know' (잘 모르겠습니다).

Visuelle Assoziation

A student bowing to a teacher while saying the phrase.

Story

You are lost in Seoul. You ask a local for help. They don't know, but they bow and say '잘 모르겠습니다' to be kind.

In Other Languages

Similar to 'Je ne sais pas' in French or 'No lo sé' in Spanish, but with more emphasis on social politeness.

Word Web

모르다잘모릅니다모르겠는데요죄송합니다알다

Herausforderung

Say this phrase 5 times to different imaginary people in your head.

Review in 1, 3, 7, 14, and 30 days.

Aussprache

Betonung Evenly stressed.

Clear articulation.

Formalitätsspektrum

Formell
잘 모르겠습니다.

잘 모르겠습니다. (General)

Neutral
잘 몰라요.

잘 몰라요. (General)

Informell
잘 몰라.

잘 몰라. (General)

Umgangssprache
몰라.

몰라. (General)

Derived from the verb '모르다' (to not know).

Modern:

Wusstest du?

Adding '잘' makes it sound less like a rejection.

Kulturelle Hinweise

Politeness is key.

“Always use formal endings.”

Gesprächseinstiege

“

Do you know where the station is?

Häufige Fehler

✗

몰라요

✓

잘 모르겠습니다

wrong register
Using '몰라요' in a formal meeting is too casual.

L1 Interference

0 1

In Other Languages

Spanish moderate

No lo sé

Korean adds a politeness marker.

French moderate

Je ne sais pas

Register is crucial in Korean.

German moderate

Ich weiß es nicht

Indirectness is preferred in Korean.

Japanese Very Similar

わかりません

Very similar cultural logic.

Arabic moderate

لا أعرف

Korean is more formal.

Chinese moderate

我不知道

Korean uses honorifics.

Korean Very Similar

잘 모르겠습니다

None.

Portuguese moderate

Não sei

Korean is more formal.

Spotted in the Real World

📺

(2020)

“잘 모르겠습니다.”

Work scene

Leicht verwechselbar

잘 모르겠습니다. vs. 몰라요

Too casual for formal settings.

Use -습니다 for formal.

Häufig gestellte Fragen (1)

No, it's too formal.

usage contexts

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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