STOP SAYING "I DON'T KNOW"! Speak English like a native (9 alternatives)

hey guys welcome to lingua Marina today we're gonna talk about a phrase that you use really often and we're gonna talk about alternatives because saying I don't know all the time it is really boring and there are amazing phrases used by native speakers that would help you replace this phrase and make your speech more natural and more exciting to listen to so if you're interested continue watching this video [Music] by the way I'm filming this video from Malibu we moved out of our apartment in San Francisco and if you follow me on instagram you already

know that and we're gonna be here we're gonna be in California but we don't have a choice right now we're just going from one rental to another which is pretty cool so if you want to see our journey follow me on Instagram now let's get back to art class when somebody asks you about something you don't know you can reply that's a good question I'll find out that's a good question when I just started my company MP education and we sent people to study abroad there were a lot of questions that came from our customers

that I didn't know the answer to but if I just said I don't know I would sound may be unprofessional because as a professional study brought it I had to no answer to that question and that might have sounded a little dismissive the client might have gotten an impression that it didn't want to help them so if you are working with customers if you are trying to show that you want to help the best response is something that I've just mentioned that's a good question I'll find out sometimes saying I dunno just stops the conversation

and maybe that person who is asking you a question wants to continue talking to you and if you want to continue this friendly conversation you can say I have the exact same question could ask you the same question for example your friend asks you when you think the quarantine will be over when would we be able to freely travel and I know Europeans are already able to do that and you can say I don't know because of course you don't know what's gonna happen but if you want to continue conversation you can say I have

the exact same question I had plans to go to Europe this summer I had ones to study abroad and you know I don't want when this would be over I have my flights booked my hotel booked and I'm just sitting here and waiting so instead of saying I don't know you would say I have the exact same question and this way the conversation would continue and you would sound friendlier another phrase is really conversational widely used by native speakers is it a say I don't know you can say I have no idea I have no

idea and another phrase that is a little more advanced don't say I have no clue I have no clue where we are I have no clue is basically the same as I have no idea it just makes your speech a little different the next phrase is rhetorical it is a question that people don't expect an answer to so for example when somebody tells you do you know when the stores are gonna open again you can say who knows and the meaning is the same I don't have a clue I don't know who knows the next

race is really informal used by teenagers used by a lot of people it sounds like I don't know but it's a faster version of it so I was like dunno right you know and it's spelled with five letters only don't know do you know when they serve MEK breakfast in McDonald's don't know so this is a fast phrase say me as I don't know and it's really widespread among teenagers the next phrase is why don't we ask and then you insert somebody's name hey why don't we ask her for example you have this zoom meeting

because everything is happening in zoom right now you have the zoom meeting with your colleagues or with other students from your group and somebody raises a question when do you think we should organize the next meeting if they address this question to you you can say why don't we ask Ben because Ben is the one who's responsible for organizing all of the meetings for a group and this way you are owning the conversation instead of saying I don't know you're actually redirecting the question to another person and you're kind of staying in charge which is

a great thing especially in a group it's good when somebody is navigating the questions so you can say why don't we ask Ben Ben when do you think we should organize the next meeting your guess is as good as mine your guess is as good as mine this phrase is oh my god it's beautiful right I would say I would use it if I was making a movie if I was making a very beautiful vlog I would say instead of saying I don't know I'll say your guess is good that means that I have no

idea as well I have no answer to your question and I could only guess and my guess would be as good as yours and your guess would be as good as mine if you're really annoyed by somebody's question somebody has been asking you this question every single day you know babies or kids they love to ask the same question for example when you're in the airplane and you're waiting to take off the kids would be like when would we take off won't let me take them I remember myself doing that and when you're flying the

kids would be like when are we gonna arrive but are we gonna rest kids are amazing but there are some people who are annoying asking the same question you can get back to them with a phrase how should I know should I know like why do you think I should have this information you asked me yesterday I told you I don't know you asked me the day before yesterday I told you who knows you know you answered with the phrases that we learned in this class and when you're so annoyed with a question you can

just say how should I know come on why do you think I have this knowledge and I want to wrap up this class with a phrase that you can use if you have some information but you're unsure you can introduce this information by saying as far as I know as far as I'm concerned as far as I know so when do you think we'll be able to fly to the US again as far as I know San Francisco International Airport is launching three flights to Munich a week starting June 14th and this is information that

I got from a reliable media so as far as I know mid-june let's keep our fingers crossed if you want to learn more words used by native speakers if you want to learn mobile cavalry make sure to check out the link below it's English taught online and this is where I've uploaded my english-language handbook which has over a thousand words used by native speakers most common English words it's gonna teach you a lot of idioms and phrasal verbs I think it's one of the best work groups for English language students it has over 180 pages

of content the link is below and thank you guys so much for watching this video thank you for supporting me with your likes and comments in the redbud this below hit subscribe if you enjoy my content and I will see a very soon in my next vlogs bye bye