French · Real conversations
Say you do not know naturally in French
It is useful to say when information is missing. Give a short honest answer, offer to find out if you can, or explain that you lack enough knowledge to form an opinion.
Three ways to say it
Je ne sais pas.
I don't know.
A simple honest answer when you do not know a fact.
Je ne suis pas sûr / sûre, mais je peux me renseigner.
I'm not sure, but I can find out.
Acknowledge uncertainty and offer a realistic next step.
Je n'en sais pas assez pour donner un avis.
I don't know enough about that to give an opinion.
Explain why you are not ready to give an informed opinion.
Avoid translating word by word
English 'find out' means obtain information, not locate something outdoors. The target-language phrase may use a verb for checking, asking, or learning; keep that information-seeking meaning.
See the difference in context
A question about a book's author
Qui a écrit ce livre ?
Who wrote this book?
Je ne sais pas.
I don't know.
Finding out an office's opening time
Tu sais à quelle heure le bureau ouvre ?
Do you know when the office opens?
Je ne suis pas sûr / sûre, mais je peux me renseigner.
I'm not sure, but I can find out.
Your turn
Someone asks for an opinion on an unfamiliar subject. Say you do not know enough about it to give an opinion.
Reveal a sample reply
Je n'en sais pas assez pour donner un avis.
I don't know enough about that to give an opinion.
This speaking goal in other languages
A note on speaking French
Use vous with strangers, staff, and people you address formally; use tu when that relationship is established. Je voudrais and pourriez-vous can make a request considerate. The most appropriate choice depends on the person and the situation.
Keep accents and apostrophes. A familiar spoken expression may differ from its literal English translation. Read the complete line, including the pronoun and the words that connect the request.
