Questions & Answers about Jeg aner det ikke.
What does aner mean here?
Aner is the present tense of at ane.
In this sentence, at ane means something like to have even the slightest idea or to have a clue. So Jeg aner det ikke is stronger than a plain I don’t know. It is closer to:
- I have no idea
- I haven’t got a clue
So even if the basic meaning is already given, it helps to know that ane adds a sense of not knowing at all.
How is Jeg aner det ikke different from Jeg ved det ikke?
Both can mean I don’t know, but they are not exactly the same in tone.
- Jeg ved det ikke = I don’t know
- Jeg aner det ikke = I have no idea / I haven’t got a clue
So aner is usually a bit stronger and often a bit more informal or emphatic.
If you simply want a neutral, standard way to say I don’t know, Jeg ved det ikke is very common.
If you want to stress total lack of knowledge, Jeg aner det ikke works very well.
What is the dictionary form of aner?