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“Keine Ahnung”

No idea

Daily LifeInformalA2

Literal Translation

Word for word: “No notion”

Pronunciation

/ˈkaɪ̯nə ˈaːnʊŋ/

When to Use This Phrase

'Keine Ahnung' is casual and can sound dismissive with a boss or a stranger; there, 'Das weiß ich leider nicht' (I'm afraid I don't know) is more polite. Younger Germans also say 'Kein Plan' with the same meaning.

Example Sentences

Wann fängt der Film an? — Keine Ahnung.

When does the movie start? — No idea.

Ich habe keine Ahnung, wie das funktioniert.

I have no idea how this works.

Word Breakdown

Related Phrases

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