Log inSign up

Nu știu.

Nu știu.
I don't know.
From Lesson 24:Knowing and thinking (știu că, cred că)·Romanian

Breakdown of Nu știu.

nu
no / not
ști
to know

Questions & Answers about Nu știu.

Why isn't there a word for "I" in this sentence?
In Romanian, the verb ending usually tells you who is doing the action, so you don't need to use subject pronouns like "I" (eu) or "you" (tu). Știu already means "I know." You would only add eu (eu nu știu) if you really wanted to emphasize that you don't know, contrasting yourself with someone else who might.
How does negation work here? Is there a word for "don't"?
Romanian makes verbs negative much more simply than English. You just put nu (no/not) directly in front of the verb. There is no equivalent to the English helper verb "do" or "don't."
Can I use știu to say I don't know a person?
No. Romanian has two verbs for "to know." Use a ști (the verb in this sentence) for knowing facts, information, or how to do something. If you want to say you don't know a person or a place (meaning you are not familiar with them), you must use the verb a cunoaște.
How do I pronounce the ș and the -iu at the end of știu?
The letter ș sounds like the "sh" in the English word "shoe." The ending -iu sounds a bit like "ew", making the whole word sound very close to "shtew" in English.

Learn Nu știu and more in Romanian

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Romanian →