Ways to say it
| Uzbek | Pronunciation | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bilmayman | bil-may-MAN | I don't know | Neutral and polite; the standard answer. |
| Bilmadim | bil-ma-DIM | I don't know | Very common in speech and a little softer; literally a past form, “I didn't know”. |
| Aniq bilmayman | a-NIQ bil-may-MAN | I don't know exactly | Softer; you may know something but not for certain. |
| Kechirasiz, bilmayman | ke-chi-ra-SIZ, bil-may-MAN | Sorry, I don't know | Polite, to a stranger who asked you something. |
| Menga ma’lum emas | men-GA ma-LUM e-MAS | I am not aware (formal) | Official and written style; stiff in conversation. |
Capital letters mark the stressed syllable. Uzbek stress usually falls on the last syllable.
What it literally means
Know-not-I.
In a real exchange
- Colleague: Yigʻilish soat nechada boshlanadi?
What time does the meeting start? - You: Aniq bilmayman. Soat oʻnda boʻlsa kerak.
I don't know exactly. It's probably at ten. - Colleague: Menejerdan soʻrab koʻraylikmi?
Shall we ask the manager? - You: Xoʻp, soʻrab koʻraylik.
Okay, let's ask.
Good to know
- The -ma- in the middle is the negative: bil-ma-yman, bil-ma-dim. Bilmadim is past in form but means “I don't know”, just as tushunmadim means “I don't understand”.
- The ending -man already says “I”, so you can drop Men.
- Bilmayman also covers knowing a language or a skill: Oʻzbekchani yaxshi bilmayman, “I don't know Uzbek well”.
Common mistakes
- Saying Yoʻq bilaman for “I don't know”. Verbs are negated with -ma-, not with yoʻq.
- Answering a stranger's question with a bare Bilmayman. Add Kechirasiz first to sound polite.
This phrase is part of My name is… in Uzbek: introducing yourself in the free phrasebook, with the grammar behind it.