How to say "I don’t know" in Korean — 모르겠어요 / 몰라요 / 몰라

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How to say “I don’t know” in Korean — 모르겠어요 / 몰라요 / 몰라

Pronunciation • Examples • Audio • Short Quiz • Try speaking

모르겠어요 / 몰라요 / 몰라

[mo-reu-ge-sseo-yo] / [mol-la-yo] / [mol-la]

I don’t know (polite / semi-polite / casual)

Word & Grammar Breakdown:

모르다 (mo-reu-da) — to not know
겠 (gess) — expresses guessing or uncertainty (“might / probably”)
어요 (eo yo) — polite ending marker

✅ Combined: 모르겠어요 = “I don’t know (polite, humble)”
몰라요 (mol la yo) = softer, still polite; 몰라 (mol la) = casual “I don’t know.”

Examples

👩 A: 지금 몇 시예요? jigeum myeoch si ye yo
What time is it now?
👨 B: 모르겠어요.moleu gess-eo yo
I don’t know.

👦 A: 이거 뭐야? igeo mwo ya
What’s this?
👧 B: 몰라. mplla
I don’t know.

Quick Quiz — Which is the most polite?

Try speaking — say “모르겠어요”

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● Idle

Tip: Try to say 모르겠어요 clearly — if recognition finds “몰라” or “모르겠,” it will count as a match.

🇰🇷 Cultural Insight — Using “모르겠어요”

In Korean culture, “모르겠어요 moleu gess-eo yo ” sounds polite and humble — often used when you want to avoid sounding too direct or rude. It can also mean “I’m not sure” depending on tone. “몰라요 molla yo” is common among friends or colleagues, while “몰라 molla” is casual and sounds simple or playful. In K-dramas, you’ll often hear “몰라! molla” when someone feels confused or frustrated.