boh
BOHinterjectionColloquial
A Italian slang term. Browse all Italian slang.
What it means
I don't know; who knows; search me. A complete answer on its own, and usually delivered with a shrug and downturned mouth.
Examples with translations
—Quando arriva il treno? —Boh.
'When does the train arrive?' 'No idea.'
Boh, forse domani, non si sa.
Who knows, maybe tomorrow, nobody's sure.
Where it comes from
Not a word so much as a conventionalised sound, and one of the first things learners notice about real Italian conversation. It communicates not just ignorance but a refusal to speculate.