न जाने (n jaane)
adverb
A fixed conversational phrase meaning 'who knows' or 'goodness knows' -- literally 'let it not be known,' from जानना (jaannaa, 'to know') in a negated subjunctive form. It has essentially one core use: expressing uncertainty or bewilderment about something.
Sense
1
:
who knows / goodness knows (expressing uncertainty)
adverb Sits at the start of a clause and colors the whole statement with uncertainty, much like English 'goodness knows why...' or 'who can say...'. Commonly followed by a question word: न जाने क्यों (n jaane kyon, 'who knows why'), न जाने कब (n jaane kab, 'who knows when'), न जाने कहाँ (n jaane kahaan, 'who knows where').
Synonyms: पता नहीं (pataa nahiin), भगवान जाने (bhagvaan jaane, adds a devotional flavor), कौन जाने (kaun jaane)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is one of those wonderfully expressive Hindi phrases that native speakers reach for constantly to shrug off a question they can't answer -- said with a little tilt of the head and raised eyebrows, it does a lot of emotional work in very few words. You'll hear it everywhere from a mother wondering न जाने बच्चा कहाँ चला गया (n jaane bachchaa kahaan chalaa gayaa, 'who knows where the child has gone') to more philosophical musings about fate and unpredictability.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners try to conjugate जाने (jaane) here as if it were a regular verb form agreeing with a subject -- it doesn't; the whole phrase is frozen and invariant regardless of person, gender, or number. 2) Don't confuse this with the literal negative imperative/subjunctive 'may [someone] not know' -- in real speech न जाने (n jaane) is almost always this fixed idiom of bewilderment, not a live command about someone's knowledge.
Sample Sentences:
न जाने वह कहाँ चला गया।
Who knows where he went.
(n jaane vah kahaan chalaa gayaa।)
न जाने बच्चा कहाँ चला गया।
Who knows where the child has gone.
(n jaane bachchaa kahaan chalaa gayaa।)
न जाने कल क्या होगा।
Who knows what will happen tomorrow.
(n jaane kal kyaa hogaa।)
न जाने वह क्यों इतना गुस्सा करती है।
Who knows why she gets so angry.
(n jaane vah kyon itnaa gussaa kartii hai।)
न जाने वह क्या सोच रहा है।
Who knows what he's thinking.
(n jaane vah kyaa soch rahaa hai।)
न जाने अगर मैं वहाँ न होता, तो क्या होता।
Who knows what would have happened if I hadn't been there.
(n jaane agar main vahaan n hotaa, to kyaa hotaa।)
न जाने यह पत्र किसने लिखा था।
Who knows who wrote this letter.
(n jaane yah patr kisne likhaa thaa।)
न जाने इस बुढ़िया को कहाँ से यह ताकत मिलती है।
Who knows where this old woman gets such strength from.
(n jaane is budhiyaa ko kahaan se yah taakat miltii hai।)
न जाने किस्मत में क्या लिखा है।
Who knows what is written in one's fate.
(n jaane kismat men kyaa likhaa hai।)
न जाने इंसान की नियति में क्या बदा है, यह कोई नहीं जानता।
Who knows what is destined in a person's fate, no one truly knows.
(n jaane insaan kii niyti men kyaa badaa hai, yah koii nahiin jaantaa।)
न जाने कब यह दर्द कम होगा।
Who knows when this pain will lessen.
(n jaane kab yah dard kam hogaa।)