不得而知 bùdé'érzhī HSK7 unknown Definitions Defs Origin Strokes Stroke Words Sentences Sents 不得 bùdé verb cannot cannot; to be unable to; often used in set phrases like 不得而知 bùdé'érzhī而 ér particleconjunction [adverbial linker] Connects an adverb-like description to the following verb to show the manner, cause, or basis of an action.知 zhī verb to know to know; to be aware of; to realize or sense