不得而知 (bù dé ér zhī) — unable to find out; unknown; nobody knows

Definition

不得而知 is a formal set phrase meaning 'cannot find out' or 'nobody knows' — it describes a situation where the answer is unknown because there is no way to discover it. Unlike 未知数 (wèi zhī shù), which is a noun for an 'unknown quantity' (often mathematical) or 'uncertain factor', 不得而知 is a predicate used about a specific fact that remains unknowable.

phrase

unable to find outunknownnobody knows

Examples

不得而知。
Zhè jiàn shì de zhēnxiàng zhìjīn bù dé ér zhī.
The truth of this matter is still unknown.
，不得而知。
Tā wèishénme tūrán líkāi, wǒmen bù dé ér zhī.
Why he suddenly left, we have no way of knowing.
，不得而知。
Nàge wèntí de dá'àn, kǒngpà bù dé ér zhī le.
The answer to that question is probably unknowable.

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