天知道

tiān zhīdào

phrase #9,480

Meanings

1 God knows
2 heaven knows
3 who knows

Characters

to know (in 知道)

Examples

HSK 1

天知道他去了哪里。

Tiān zhīdào tā qù le nǎlǐ.

God knows where he went.

HSK 2

他什么时候回来？天知道！

Tā shénme shíhou huílái? Tiān zhīdào!

When will he come back? Who knows!

HSK 4

天知道我经历了什么。

Tiān zhīdào wǒ jīnglì le shénme.

Heaven knows what I've been through.

Tips

register

天知道 is colloquial and expresses exasperation or helplessness, just like 'God knows' in English. It can start a sentence or stand alone as an exclamation. A more literary equivalent is 鬼知道, which is slightly more irreverent.

Stroke Order

天 tiān

知 zhī

道 dào