who knows

phrase

A rhetorical question asked to show that the person asking it neither knows the answer nor knows who might.

“Don't touch that – who knows where it's been?”

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Meanings

phrasewho knows?
  1. A rhetorical question asked to show that the person asking it neither knows the answer nor knows who might.

    It could be one or the other, or both. Who knows?

    1 more example

    Do you think I'll get married before I turn 30? – Who knows, you might never marry.

  2. A rhetorical question asked to express the idea that anything is possible or that anything could happen.

    Don't touch that – who knows where it's been?

    2 more examples

    Who knows? Maybe someday he'll finish writing his book and make lots of money selling it.

    Since she hasn't studied at all I don't think she'll pass the test, but who knows?

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
fuck knowsgod knowshow should i know

Translations

Arabic مَن يَدْرِي؟, اَللّٰهُ أَعْلَم
  • مَن يَدْرِي؟ (man yadrī?)rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • اَللّٰهُ أَعْلَم (allāhu ʔaʕlam)rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • إِبْصَر (ʔibṣar)rhetorical question: one doesn't know
Basque auskalo
  • auskalorhetorical question: one doesn't know
Chinese Mandarin 誰知道？ /谁知道？, 誰知道？ /谁知道？
  • 誰知道？ /谁知道？ (shéi zhīdào)rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • 誰知道？ /谁知道？ (shéi zhīdào)rhetorical question: one doesn't know
Dutch wie weet?, wie weet
  • wie weet?rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • wie weetrhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • wie zal het zeggen?rhetorical question: one doesn't know
Finnish kukapa tietää, kukapa tietää
  • kukapa tietäärhetorical question: anything is possible
  • kukapa tietäärhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • tiedä häntärhetorical question: one doesn't know
French qui sait, qui sait
  • qui saitrhetorical question: anything is possible
  • qui saitrhetorical question: one doesn't know
German wer weiß?
  • wer weiß?rhetorical question: one doesn't know
Greek ποιος ξέρει;, ποιος ξέρει;
  • ποιος ξέρει; (poios xérei?)rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • ποιος ξέρει; (poios xérei?)rhetorical question: one doesn't know
Hebrew השד יודע, השד יודע
  • השד יודעrhetorical question: anything is possible
  • השד יודעrhetorical question: one doesn't know
Hungarian ki tudja?, ki tudja?
  • ki tudja?rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • ki tudja?rhetorical question: one doesn't know
Icelandic hver veit?
  • hver veit?rhetorical question: one doesn't know
Italian chissà?, chi lo sa
  • chissà?rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • chi lo sarhetorical question: anything is possible
  • chi può dirlo?rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • vattelappescarhetorical question: anything is possible
  • chissà?rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • chi lo sa?rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • vallo a sapererhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • vattelappescarhetorical question: one doesn't know
Japanese さあ？, さあ？
  • さあ？ (sā?)rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • さあ？ (sā?)rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • …かもしれない (…ka mo shirenai)rhetorical question: one doesn't know
Norwegian hvem vet?
  • hvem vet?rhetorical question: anything is possible
Norwegian Bokmål hvem vet?, si det
  • hvem vet?rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • si detrhetorical question: one doesn't know
Polish kto wie?, kto wie?
  • kto wie?rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • kto wie?rhetorical question: one doesn't know
Portuguese quem sabe?, vai saber?
  • quem sabe?rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • vai saber?rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • quem sabe?rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • vai saber?rhetorical question: one doesn't know
Romanian cine știe?, cine știe?
  • cine știe?rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • cine știe?rhetorical question: one doesn't know
Russian кто зна́ет?, кто его́ зна́ет?
  • кто зна́ет? (kto znájet)rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • кто его́ зна́ет? (kto jevó znájet)rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • кто зна́ет? (kto znájet?)rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • кто его́ зна́ет? (kto jevó znájet?)rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • как знать? (kak znatʹ?)rhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • чёрт его́ зна́ет! (čort jevó znájet!)rhetorical question: one doesn't know
Scottish Gaelic cò aig a tha fios?
  • cò aig a tha fios?rhetorical question: one doesn't know
Spanish quién sabe, saber
  • quién saberhetorical question: anything is possible
  • saberrhetorical question: anything is possible
  • a saberrhetorical question: anything is possible
  • quién saberhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • saberrhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • a saberrhetorical question: one doesn't know
Swedish vem vet?
  • vem vet?rhetorical question: one doesn't know
Tagalog ano'ng malay mo, malay mo
  • ano'ng malay morhetorical question: one doesn't know
  • malay morhetorical question: one doesn't know
Tamil யாருக்குத் தெரியும், யாருக்குத் தெரியும்
  • யாருக்குத் தெரியும் (yārukkut teriyum)rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • யாருக்குத் தெரியும் (yārukkut teriyum)rhetorical question: one doesn't know
Turkish kim bilir?, kim bilir
  • kim bilir?rhetorical question: anything is possible
  • kim bilirrhetorical question: one doesn't know
Cite this entry
APA

who knows. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/who%20knows

MLA

“who knows.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/who%20knows. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “who knows,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/who%20knows.

Source: who knows on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.