{"id":62951,"date":"2014-08-29T21:46:10","date_gmt":"2014-08-29T12:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cotoacademy.com\/use-wakarimasen-vs-shirimasen\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T17:01:54","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T08:01:54","slug":"use-wakarimasen-vs-shirimasen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cotoacademy.com\/ja\/use-wakarimasen-vs-shirimasen\/","title":{"rendered":"Using Wakarimasen (\u308f\u304b\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093) vs Shirimasen (\u3057\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\u00a0<\/div>\n

Learning the Nuances<\/a>
Practice & Examples<\/a>
Going Further…<\/a><\/p>\n

Did you know that both “wakarimasen” or “shirimasen” can be used to say “I don’t know” depending on the situation? Take a look at the examples below to find out when to use each phrase!<\/p>\n

Learning the Nuances<\/h3>\n

“Shirimasen”<\/strong> can be used to simply convey that you don’t have the knowledge the other person is looking for. However, if you are talking about something or someone familiar, you will sound you sound cold and mechanical. The nuance, in this case, would be “I don’t care” or “who knows”.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/div>\n

“Wakarimasen”<\/strong>\u00a0is appropriate when you don’t understand something, that something is beyond the scope of your imagination or current plans. You do not have the means to answer the question. In other words, this phrase suggests that you thought about the question but couldn’t find the answer.<\/p>\n

Practice & Examples<\/h3>\n

\u660e\u65e5\uff08<\/rp>\u3042\u3057\u305f<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u306f\u65e5\u66dc\u65e5\uff08<\/rp>\u306b\u3061\u3088\u3046\u3073<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u3067\u3059\u306d\u3002\u4f55\uff08<\/rp>\u306a\u306b<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u3092\u3057\u307e\u3059\u304b\uff1f
Tomorrow’s Sunday. What are your plans?<\/p>\n

NG: \u77e5\uff08<\/rp>\u3057<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093 Shirimasen
Good: \u307e\u3060\u308f\u304b\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002 I’m not sure yet.
or \u7279\uff08<\/rp>\u3068\u304f<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u306b\u4e88\u5b9a\uff08<\/rp>\u3088\u3066\u3044<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u304c\u3042\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002I don’t really have any plans.<\/p>\n

Since you’re talking about your plans and not about something that requires knowledge or information, using \u77e5\uff08<\/rp>\u3057<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u00a0would not be appropriate in this case.<\/p>\n

\u7530\u4e2d\uff08<\/rp>\u305f\u306a\u304b<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u3055\u3093\u3001\u9045\uff08<\/rp>\u304a\u305d<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u3044\u3067\u3059\u306d\u3002\u3069\u3046\u3057\u305f\u3093\u3067\u3057\u3087\u3046\u304b\u3002
Tanaka-san’s late today. I wonder if something happened.<\/p>\n

NG: \u77e5\uff08<\/rp>\u3057<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093
Good: \u308f\u304b\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093<\/p>\n

Since the other person is worried about Tanaka-san, answering with \u77e5\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u00a0would sound cold and almost like you’re brushing the person off.<\/p>\n

\u4f50\u85e4\uff08<\/rp>\u3055\u3068\u3046<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u3055\u3093\u306e\u9023\u7d61\u5148\uff08<\/rp>\u308c\u3093\u3089\u304f\u3055\u304d<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u3001\u77e5\uff08<\/rp>\u3057<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u3063\u3066\u3044\u307e\u3059\u304b\uff1f
Do you have Sato-san’s contact information?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/div>\n

Acceptable – Good: \u77e5\uff08<\/rp>\u3057<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093
Acceptable – Good: \u308f\u304b\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093<\/p>\n

Going Further…<\/h3>\n

In the aforementioned case, someone is asking for contact information. \u77e5\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093 can be used in this case. But if the other person needs the information urgently, you can answer with \u308f\u304b\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093. Indeed, you imply that you don’t have the information and you thought about it but have no idea, thus showing that you have empathy.<\/p>\n

\u5317\u6d77\u9053\uff08<\/rp>\u307b\u3063\u304b\u3044\u3069<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u3063\u3066\u3044\u3046\u5c45\u9152\u5c4b\uff08<\/rp>\u3044\u3056\u304b\u3084<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u3001\u77e5\uff08<\/rp>\u3057<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u3063\u3066\u3044\u307e\u3059\u304b\uff1f
Do you know the izakaya called “Hokkaido”?<\/p>\n

Good: \u77e5\uff08<\/rp>\u3057<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093<\/p>\n

\u4f1a\u793e\uff08<\/rp>\u304b\u3044\u3057\u3083<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u306e\u8fd1\uff08<\/rp>\u3061\u304b<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u304f\u306b\u65b0\uff08<\/rp>\u3042\u305f\u3089<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u3057\u3044\u30ec\u30b9\u30c8\u30e9\u30f3\u304c\u3067\u304d\u305f\u306e\u3001\u77e5\uff08<\/rp>\u3057<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u3063\u3066\u307e\u3059\u304b\uff1f\u3059\u3054\u304f\u304a\u3044\u3057\u3044\u3067\u3059\u3088\u3002
Did you know that a new restaurant opened up near the office? The food is really good!<\/p>\n

Acceptable: \u77e5\uff08<\/rp>\u3057<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093
Very good: \u77e5\uff08<\/rp>\u3057<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3067\u3057\u305f<\/p>\n

Because the other person is sharing new information, it sounds more natural to use \u77e5\uff08<\/rp>\u3057<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3067\u3057\u305f. You imply that you didn’t know until now<\/strong>. Finally, keep in mind the casual form<\/a>, \u77e5\uff08<\/rp>\u3057<\/rt>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u3089\u306a\u3044 and \u308f\u304b\u3089\u306a\u3044. They both can be used in a wider range of situations.<\/p>\n

We hope you can now better distinguish the nuance of wakarimasen and shirimasen!<\/p>\n

Click to tweet this article and share it with more Japanese learners!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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