Episode 10 · Real Italian Conversations
Boh! Three ways to say I don't know in Italian
Non lo so, non ne ho idea, boh! - from polite to very Italian in three steps.
Laura has lost everything. Tom has an answer for every question - and a confession.
Laura ·
In this lesson
| Italian | Word for word | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Non lo so | I don't know | safe everywhere |
| Non ne ho idea | I have no idea | a bit stronger |
| Boh! | dunno! | very casual, with a shrug; friends and family only |
| Parli come un italiano | you talk like an Italian |
Boh is best with a shrug and a little pout. Keep it for friends - at work, say non lo so.
The dialogue
Every line from the video, with the English meaning under the Italian.
Laura
Tom, dove sono le chiavi?
Tom, where are the keys?
Tom
Non lo so.
I don't know.
Laura
E il telefono?
And the phone?
Tom
Non ne ho idea.
I have no idea.
Laura
E il mio caffè?
And my coffee?
Tom
Boh!
Dunno!
Laura
Bravo! Parli come un italiano!
Well done! You talk like an Italian!
Tom
Also... I drank your coffee.
The voices in this video are synthetic and the on-screen host is generated. The Italian itself is written and checked by a native speaker.
Ready to speak, not just watch?
Practise these phrases out loud with Laura in a small group or a private lesson.
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