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"dont know" vs "Didn't know"

The phrases 'don't know' and 'didn't know' are both correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'Don't know' is used in the present tense to express a lack of knowledge at the current moment, while 'didn't know' is used in the past tense to indicate a lack of knowledge at a specific point in the past.

Last Updated: March 30, 2024

dont know

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to express a lack of knowledge at the current moment.

Use 'don't know' in the present tense to indicate that you lack knowledge about something at the current time.

Examples:

  • I don't know the answer to that question.
  • She doesn't know where her keys are.

Alternatives:

  • I am unaware
  • I have no idea
  • I am clueless
  • I am uncertain
  • I am not sure

Didn't know

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate a lack of knowledge at a specific point in the past.

Use 'didn't know' in the past tense to express that you were unaware of something at a particular time in the past.

Examples:

  • I didn't know you were coming.
  • She didn't know the answer to the question yesterday.

Alternatives:

  • I was unaware
  • I had no idea
  • I was clueless
  • I was uncertain
  • I wasn't sure

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