Wakaranai v.s. Shiranai

Soon after you began studying Japanese, you learned that “wakarimasen” means “I don’t understand.” However, it’s also used as “I don’t know,” right? So which one is correct…? I’m sure you’ve wondered about this.

Let’s begin from an easy point. I think you can interpret “understand” like this:

I understand. = wakaru

I don't understand.＝wakaranai

You can use either “wakaru” or “shitteiru” for “I know” and also use either “wakaranai” or “shiranai” for “I don’t know.”

It’s this complication that’s confusing. “shiru” means “to get information” and “shitteiru” indicates the state of having information. When you say, “I know him” or “I know this restaurant”, it refers to having information about him or the restaurant.

 (watashi wa) kare o shitteiru. (I know him.)

(watashi wa) kono restaurant o shitteiru. (I know this restaurant.)

I think it’s okay to use “shitteiru” when you’ve seen, heard, or read about a certain topic. It indicates that you have at least superficial information about it.

On the other hand, when you say “I know what you mean” or “I know how you feel,” it has the nuance of relating to the speaker because you’ve experienced the same thing. It expresses a deeper understanding and not just superficial information, and “wakaru” is best used in this case.

(watashi wa anata no) iitai koto ga wakaru. (I know what you mean.)

 (watashi wa anata no) kimochi ga wakaru. (I know how you feel.)

Let’s compare these examples.

1. kare ga doko ni sundeiru ka, shitteiru? → shiranai. (Do you know where he lives? → No, I don't know.)

2. jibun ga nani o shiteiru ka, wakatteiru no? → un, wakatteiru. (Do you know what you are doing? → Yes, I do.)

1 is about whether you possess superficial information, and 2 has more depth to it. Wouldn’t you agree?

Consider this next example from the viewpoint of having or not having information.

1. kono news o shittieru? → un, shitteiru. (having information) / uun, shiranai (having no information)

2. kono hen ni eki ga arimasu ka? → hai, arimasu. (knowing that there is a station nearby) /iie, arimasen. (knowing that there is not any station nearby)

Whether the answer is yes or no, both indicate that you have information about the station. Furthermore, you could say “wakarimasen” here too. This wouldn’t mean “I don’t understand your question,” but instead means "I don't know if there is a station nearby." However, if this is so, the question of why you can't say "shirimasen" arises.

kono he ni eki ga arimasu ka? → sa, shirimasen ne.

This answer isn't necessarily wrong, but I think Japanese people usually answer “sa, wakarimasen ne.” Why is that? Well, if you use “shirimasen,” this would give a cold impression, kind of like curtly saying, “I don’t have that information” or even "How should I know?"

Contrary to this, “wakarimasen” carries the nuance of a softer “no,” as if to say, “There might indeed be a station around here, but I haven’t checked into it (or, I’m not familiar with this neighborhood), so I’m afraid I can’t answer…”

This expression may be similar to gentle negation, such as

sakana wa suki desu ka? → sakana wa chotto… (Do you like fish? → Fish is kind of...)

or

ashita nomi ni ikanai?” → ashita wa chotto muzukashii na. (Why don’t we have a drink tomorrow?→ Tomorrow is a bit difficult for me).

Next, let’s think about the different impressions these sentences convey.

(anata wa) konshumatsu nani o suru no? (What are you doing this weekend?) → shiranai. (This gives the impression of indifference.)

(anata wa) konshumatsu nani o suru no? → wakaranai. (This person can’t answer because they don’t have plans yet.

Lastly, I’d like to share a simple tip for choosing correctly between “wakaranai” and “shiranai.” When you’re unsure how to express “I don’t know” in Japanese, pay attention to the form of the question.

• When the question ends in “shitteiru?”, answer “shiranai.”

• Other than this case, answer “wakaranai.”

It’s always important to listen to the question and answer it appropriately.