Mi nuh know

Meaning

A statement of not knowing something, equivalent to 'I don't know'. Beyond literal ignorance, it is often used dismissively or to distance oneself from a matter, meaning roughly 'don't ask me' or 'that's not my business'.

Examples

• “Mi nuh know weh im deh.”

  I don't know where he is.

  'nuh' is the negator here; 'deh' marks location without any copula.

• “Mi nuh know an mi nuh waan know.”

  I don't know and I don't want to know.

  A common paired phrase signalling total refusal to get involved.

• “When dem ask mi, mi jus seh mi nuh know.”

  When they asked me, I just said I don't know.

  'jus seh' = just said; shows the phrase used to deflect.

Origin

From English 'me no know'. 'Mi' as the first-person pronoun and 'nuh' as the preverbal negator are core features of Patois grammar shaped by West African substrate patterns.

How it's used

Everyday and neutral. Tone and context decide whether it reads as honest uncertainty or a curt brush-off. Foreigners often over-formalise it; native speakers shorten heavily.