Japanese - Knowing vs. Not Knowing

Lesson 162 of 168

Two people chatting politely in Japanese at a shrine; the image hints at asking if someone has been before and uses Japan-specific expressions about knowing and remembering.

Goal: Say whether you know, remember, or have heard of something

Free Japanese lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Welcome! In this short lesson you'll practice polite ways to say you know, don't know, don't remember, or that it's your first time. Listen, repeat, and try the short activities — friendly practice for real conversations.

Level A1: In Lesson 162 you'll learn five useful polite phrases for sharing knowledge and memory (覚えていません。, 知りません。, 知っています。, 聞いたことがあります。, 初めてです。). You'll hear them in a mini-conversation, repeat them aloud, and use quick quizzes and matching to lock them in. This lesson is CEFR-aligned and Japan-specific — a little local flavor for everyday chats.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Learn five polite phrases to say you know, don’t know, don’t remember, have heard of something, or that it’s your first time.
  • Understand when to use 覚えていません。(Oboete imasen.) and 知りません。(Shirimasen.) in simple conversations.
  • Practice speaking each phrase out loud and recognize them in a short dialogue (Level A1).
A friendly tourist office scene where a visitor asks about a festival and whether someone knows a guide; shows Japanese phrases about knowing and hearing of things.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

覚えていません。

Oboete imasen.

I don’t remember.

Meaning: I don’t remember.

When to use: Use when you can't recall a name, detail, or event politely.

Tip: Beginners sometimes say 覚える（oboeru） instead of the negative polite form; remember to use 覚えていません for 'I don't remember.'

すみません、その人の名前は覚えていません。

Sumimasen, sono hito no namae wa oboete imasen.

Sorry, I don't remember that person's name.
会議の内容をはっきり覚えていません。

Kaigi no naiyō o hakkiri oboete imasen.

I don't clearly remember the meeting details.

知りません

Shirimasen.

I don’t know.

Meaning: I don’t know.

When to use: Use when you have no information about something or can't answer a factual question politely.

すみません、その番号は知りません。

Sumimasen, sono bangō wa shirimasen.

Sorry, I don't know that number.
彼の住所は知りません。

Kare no jūsho wa shirimasen.

I don't know his address.

知っています

Shitte imasu.

I know it / I know about it.

Meaning: I know it / I know about it.

When to use: Use to show you are familiar with a fact, person, place, or topic politely.

Tip: Don't confuse 知っています with 知りません; one is affirmative (I know), the other is negative (I don't know).

はい、そのレストランを知っています。

Hai, sono resutoran o shitte imasu.

Yes, I know that restaurant.
その先生のことを知っていますか？ はい、知っています。

Sono sensei no koto o shitte imasu ka? Hai, shitte imasu.

Do you know that teacher? Yes, I know them.

聞いたことがあります。

Kiita koto ga arimasu.

I’ve heard of it.

Meaning: I’ve heard of it.

When to use: Use when you recognize a name or topic but might not know details.

Tip: Learners sometimes use 聞く (kiku) plain form; use the set phrase 聞いたことがあります for 'I've heard of it.'

そのバンドの名前は聞いたことがあります。

Sono bando no namae wa kīta koto ga arimasu.

I've heard of that band's name.
その場所のことは聞いたことがありますが、行ったことはありません。

Sono basho no koto wa kīta koto ga arimasu ga, itta koto wa arimasen.

I've heard of that place, but I've never been there.

初めてです

Hajimete desu.

It’s my first time.

Meaning: It’s my first time.

When to use: Use for first experiences, visits, trying foods, or activities politely.

この町に来るのは初めてです。

Kono machi ni kuru no wa hajimete desu.

This is my first time coming to this town.
すしを食べるのは初めてです。

Sushi o taberu no wa hajimete desu.

It's my first time eating sushi.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

At a tourist spot, Anna and David talk about a festival and local people.

Anna and David talk near a map: the conversation shows phrases like 聞いたことがあります。 and 初めてです。 — a natural short exchange about familiarity.

Is David visiting this place for the first time?

Portrait of Anna in a Japanese lesson dialogue

Anna

あの観光ガイドを知っていますか？

Ano kankō gaido o shitte imasu ka?

Do you know that tour guide?

Portrait of David in a Japanese lesson dialogue

David

知っています

Shitte imasu.

I know them.

Portrait of Anna in a Japanese lesson dialogue

Anna

このお祭りのことは聞いたことがありますか？

Kono omatsuri no koto wa kīta koto ga arimasu ka?

Have you heard of this festival?

Portrait of David in a Japanese lesson dialogue

David

聞いたことがあります。

Kīta koto ga arimasu.

I've heard of it.

Portrait of Anna in a Japanese lesson dialogue

Anna

ここへ来るのは初めてですか？

Koko e kuru no wa hajimete desu ka?

Is this your first time coming here?

Portrait of David in a Japanese lesson dialogue

David

はい、初めてです。

Hai, hajimete desu.

Yes, it's my first time.

Portrait of Anna in a Japanese lesson dialogue

Anna

あの人の名前を覚えていますか？

Ano hito no namae o oboete imasu ka?

Do you remember that person's name?

Portrait of David in a Japanese lesson dialogue

David

いいえ、覚えていません。

Iie, oboete imasen.

No, I don't remember.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which Japanese phrase means 'I don't remember.'?

Which phrase would you use to say 'I don't know' (I have no information)?

If someone asks 'Have you heard of this band?' the best short reply for 'I've heard of them' is:

When you want to say 'It's my first time' in a polite way, which is correct?

No, I don't remember.

この人の名前を覚えていますか。いいえ、___。

Yes — I've heard of that movie.

その映画のことを聞いたことがありますか。___。

Excuse me, is this your first time coming to this country?

すみません、この国に来るのは___か。

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

覚えていません。

Oboete imasen.

I don't remember.

Say this phrase out loud:

知りません

Shirimasen.

I don't know.

Say this phrase out loud:

知っています

Shitte imasu.

I know it / I know about it.

Say this phrase out loud:

聞いたことがあります。

Kīta koto ga arimasu.

I've heard of it.

Say this phrase out loud:

初めてです

Hajimete desu.

It's my first time.