Quote:
Originally Posted by loveskyliemole
Hi
I have a question.
Can you tell me what's the difference in these two?
Someone asked you some question....
when you say
"I don't know"
and
when you say
"I have no idea"
It depends on what the question was and all that... I know, but...
I sometimes use "I don't know" when I don't want to answer even I do know the answer.
but when I say "I have no idea" I really don't know the answer.
Am I right to understand like this?
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It sounds good enough. "I have no idea" can carry the meaning that the speaker could not begin to guess about the questioner's topic. "I don't know" is a more general expression that fits more situations where the speaker does not wish to express any knowledge of the questioner's topic.
Hope that helps.