Phrase guide

who knows

phrase · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

phrase

Meaning 1

A rhetorical question asked to show that the person asking it neither knows the answer nor knows who might.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • It could be one or the other, or both. Who knows?
  • Do you think I'll get married before I turn 30? – Who knows, you might never marry.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

phrase

Meaning 2

A rhetorical question asked to express the idea that anything is possible or that anything could happen.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Who knows? Maybe someday he'll finish writing his book and make lots of money selling it.
  • Since she hasn't studied at all I don't think she'll pass the test, but who knows?
  • Don't touch that – who knows where it's been?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

76 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: مَن يَدْرِي؟ (man yadrī?) — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Arabic: اَللّٰهُ أَعْلَم (allāhu ʔaʕlam) — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Arabic: إِبْصَر (ʔibṣar) — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Basque: auskalo — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Chinese Mandarin: 誰知道? /谁知道? (shéi zhīdào) — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Dutch: wie weet — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Dutch: wie zal het zeggen? — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Finnish: kukapa tietää — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Finnish: tiedä häntä — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • French: qui sait — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Galician: quen sabe? — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • German: wer weiß? — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Greek: ποιος ξέρει; (poios xérei?) — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Hebrew: השד יודע — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Hungarian: ki tudja? — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Icelandic: hver veit? — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Italian: chissà? — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Italian: chi lo sa? — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Italian: vallo a sapere — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Italian: vattelappesca — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Japanese: さあ? (sā?) — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Japanese: ...かもしれない (...ka mo shirenai) — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Macedonian: ко́јзнае (kójznae) — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Macedonian: кој го знае (koj go znae) — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Macedonian: кој ќе знае (koj ḱe znae) — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Navajo: haashį́į́ néelą́ą́ʼ? — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Norwegian Bokmål: hvem vet? — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Norwegian Bokmål: si det — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kven veit? — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: ikkje godt å vita — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Polish: kto wie? — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Portuguese: quem sabe? — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Portuguese: vai saber? — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Romanian: cine știe? — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Russian: кто зна́ет? (kto znájet?) — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Russian: кто его́ зна́ет? (kto jevó znájet?) — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Russian: как знать? (kak znatʹ?) — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Russian: чёрт его́ зна́ет! (čort jevó znájet!) — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Scottish Gaelic: cò aig a tha fios? — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Spanish: quién sabe — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Spanish: vete tú a saber — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Spanish: vete a saber — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Spanish: andá a saber — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Spanish: a saber — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Spanish: saber — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Spanish: ite vos a saber — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Swedish: vem vet? — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Turkish: kim bilir — rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • Chinese Mandarin: 誰知道? /谁知道? (shéi zhīdào) — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Dutch: wie weet? — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Finnish: kukapa tietää — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • French: qui sait — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Galician: quen sabe? — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Greek: ποιος ξέρει; (poios xérei?) — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Hebrew: השד יודע — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Hungarian: ki tudja? — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Italian: chissà? — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Italian: chi lo sa — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Italian: chi può dirlo? — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Italian: vattelappesca — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Japanese: さあ? (sā?) — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Lao: ໃຜຈະຮູ້? (phai cha hū) — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Macedonian: ко́јзнае (kójznae) — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Macedonian: кој го знае (koj go znae) — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Macedonian: кој ќе знае (koj ḱe znae) — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Norwegian: hvem vet? — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Polish: kto wie? — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Portuguese: quem sabe? — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Portuguese: vai saber? — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Romanian: cine știe? — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Russian: кто зна́ет? (kto znájet) — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Russian: кто его́ зна́ет? (kto jevó znájet) — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Spanish: quién sabe — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Spanish: a saber — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Spanish: saber — rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • Turkish: kim bilir? — rhetorical question: anything is possible