<p>"不晓得" would be quite an appropriate translation for the word "wonder":</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>不晓得会有多少人去舞会。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>To elaborate, "I wonder" has two components to it:<br>
1) I don't know; and<br>
2) I am curious to find out.</p>

<p>While 不晓得 directly possesses the meaning of 不知道 or "don't know", depending on the tone of the speaker and the statement itself, it can also take on a "curiosity component". Example:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>不晓得今天会不会下雨。<br> I wonder if it is going to rain today.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>If 我 is added in front, then the whole flavour of the sentence can be changed to a plain "I don't know" kind of statement:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我不晓得会有多少人去舞会。<br>
  我不晓得今天会不会下雨。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>As mentioned in the comments below, whether "不晓得" or "不知道" when used at the start of a sentence can be taken to mean "I wonder". A list of references:</p>

<p>不曉得<br>
do not know; I wonder<br>
source: <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/17341/" rel="noreferrer">cantonese.sheik.co.uk</a></p>

<p>I wonder how old he is.<br>
不晓得他是几岁。<br>
source: <a href="http://www.dictall.com/indu56/05/56053834105.htm" rel="noreferrer">dictall.com</a></p>

<p>I wonder if he can.<br>
不晓得他能不能。<br>
source: <a href="http://www.ichacha.net/wonder.html" rel="noreferrer">ichacha.net</a></p>

<p>I wonder whether I might ask you a question.<br>
不知道可不可以问你一个问题。<br>
source: <a href="http://www.ichacha.net/wonder.html" rel="noreferrer">ichacha.net</a></p>

<p>When in doubt, please don't rely on a single source of references.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-19T02:27:09.550Z
Notice that `晓得` is used commonly in south CN, while in the north, `知道` is more popular.
halfelf
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-19T05:39:19.107Z
@halfelf, whatever the case, I am quite sure that when used in the manner "不晓得..." or "不知道..." it is definitely a case of "I wonder" instead of "I don't know".
杨以轩
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-19T06:36:25.650Z
That comment is for other people seeing this answer. Your translation is wonderful in some situation, but not all.
halfelf
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-18T05:54:31.053Z
2012-11-20T07:21:57.020Z
2012-11-20T07:21:57.020Z
杨以轩
<p>This is my first post, I hope the community isn't too harsh on me &gt;_&lt;.</p>
<p>I've come across some translations:</p>
<p>The other posts are certainly correct in that &quot;I wonder&quot; is probably best translated as</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我想知道 。。。 ＝ I wonder ...</p>
<p>想知道（什么／为什么／如何） ＝ I wonder (what/why/how)</p>
<p>不知道是否 ＝ I wonder if/I wonder whether or not/I don't know if...</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But there are some other ways to express this:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我奇怪他怎么不来</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Here it means, &quot;I wonder why he didn't come.&quot; If &quot;wonder&quot; has a direct translation, I would say &quot;奇怪&quot; would be it, at least according. Because of the use of &quot;奇怪“ it emphasizes something strange/unusual could have occurred.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我寻思会不会下雨 = I wonder if it will rain or not</p>
</blockquote>
<p>but &quot;寻思&quot; implies pondering, thinking over, which may be too dramatic when applied to weather.</p>
<p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> At least colloquially, using <code>知道</code> is probably best, but there are many translations!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-02T04:47:26.597Z
Nice answer. 寻思 is used a lot in spoken language in Northern China (especially Northeastern China). "我寻思会不会下雨" doesn't sound overly dramatic to me if it's from the mouth of a Northeastern folk.
NS.X.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-02T01:28:23.327Z
2015-01-02T01:28:23.327Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
TheRealFakeNews
<p>in your case: 想知道，好奇。 </p>

<p>but if this is some information about it you got, 
我纳闷儿/我嘀咕呢 ... it is very strange/can't accept estimated answer/or given by others, himself want to know the fact.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-18T14:29:58.457Z
Welcome to Chinese Language and Usage Beta! Usually we prefer longer and more elaborated answers on short answers. If you can improve your answer by adding detail, context, examples, and backing up with references, this would increase your answer's quality. Poor answers risk being down-voted and subsequently removed.
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-18T14:24:32.370Z
2012-11-18T14:24:32.370Z
Daniel Yang
<p>I always try to use the word I hear most in conversation given a context...</p>

<p>And if that's what you're looking for... I think "I wonder..." by itself can be best described as </p>

<pre><code>我想
</code></pre>

<p>If you're trying to describe "I wonder" from a monologuing perspective... you can say:</p>

<pre><code>我在想会有几个人去那个派对 (派对: popular Southern Chinese transliteration of "Party")
</code></pre>

<p>Or add some colloquial flavor by repeating the verb:</p>

<pre><code>我在想想...
</code></pre>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-19T17:07:53.707Z
2012-11-19T17:07:53.707Z
user3871
<p>How can I translate something like the below sentence into Chinese:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>I wonder</strong> how many people are going to the party?</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-19T10:30:17.397Z
Have you tried Google Translate? I know it isn't usually reliable, but maybe with a fixed expression...
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-19T10:59:58.230Z
@Alenanno - Haven't got time to check again now. I did check before I posted with a few sample sentences and the translation wasn't even accurate.
going
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-19T11:01:50.593Z
That doesn't surprise me. :D What mistakes did it make?
Alenanno
<word-requests>
How to translate "I wonder..."
# How to translate "I wonder..."

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-11-18)

How can I translate something like the below sentence into Chinese:

> **I wonder** how many people are username_0 to the party?

**Tags:** word-requests

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Have you tried Google Translate? I know it isn't usually reliable, but maybe with a fixed expression...  
> **username_0**: @username_1 - Haven't got time to check again now. I did check before I posted with a few sample sentences and the translation wasn't even accurate.  
> **username_1**: That doesn't surprise me. :D What mistakes did it make?  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2012-11-18. Score: 6

"不晓得" would be quite an appropriate translation for the word "wonder":

> 不晓得会有多少人去舞会。

To elaborate, "I wonder" has two components to it:  
1) I don't know; and  
2) I am curious to find out.

While 不晓得 directly possesses the meaning of 不知道 or "don't know", depending on the tone of the speaker and the statement itself, it can also take on a "curiosity component". Example:

> 不晓得今天会不会下雨。  
>  I wonder if it is username_0 to rain today.

If 我 is added in front, then the whole flavour of the sentence can be changed to a plain "I don't know" kind of statement:

> 我不晓得会有多少人去舞会。  
> 我不晓得今天会不会下雨。

As mentioned in the comments below, whether "不晓得" or "不知道" when used at the start of a sentence can be taken to mean "I wonder". A list of references:

不曉得  
do not know; I wonder  
source: [cantonese.sheik.co.uk](http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/17341/)

I wonder how old he is.  
不晓得他是几岁。  
source: [dictall.com](http://www.dictall.com/indu56/05/56053834105.htm)

I wonder if he can.  
不晓得他能不能。  
source: [ichacha.net](http://www.ichacha.net/wonder.html)

I wonder whether I might ask you a question.  
不知道可不可以问你一个问题。  
source: [ichacha.net](http://www.ichacha.net/wonder.html)

When in doubt, please don't rely on a single source of references.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Notice that `晓得` is used commonly in south CN, while in the north, `知道` is more popular.  
> **username_2**: @username_3, whatever the case, I am quite sure that when used in the manner "不晓得..." or "不知道..." it is definitely a case of "I wonder" instead of "I don't know".  
> **username_3**: That comment is for other people seeing this answer. Your translation is wonderful in some situation, but not all.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-01-02. Score: 3

This is my first post, I hope the community isn't too harsh on me >\_<.

I've come across some translations:

The other posts are certainly correct in that "I wonder" is probably best translated as

> 我想知道 。。。 ＝ I wonder ...
>
> 想知道（什么／为什么／如何） ＝ I wonder (what/why/how)
>
> 不知道是否 ＝ I wonder if/I wonder whether or not/I don't know if...

But there are some other ways to express this:

> 我奇怪他怎么不来

Here it means, "I wonder why he didn't come." If "wonder" has a direct translation, I would say "奇怪" would be it, at least according. Because of the use of "奇怪“ it emphasizes something strange/unusual could have occurred.

> 我寻思会不会下雨 = I wonder if it will rain or not

but "寻思" implies pondering, thinking over, which may be too dramatic when applied to weather.

**Conclusion:** At least colloquially, using `知道` is probably best, but there are many translations!

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Nice answer. 寻思 is used a lot in spoken language in Northern China (especially Northeastern China). "我寻思会不会下雨" doesn't sound overly dramatic to me if it's from the mouth of a Northeastern folk.  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2012-11-18. Score: 2

in your case: 想知道，好奇。

but if this is some information about it you got,
我纳闷儿/我嘀咕呢 ... it is very strange/can't accept estimated answer/or given by others, himself want to know the fact.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Welcome to Chinese Language and Usage Beta! Usually we prefer longer and more elaborated answers on short answers. If you can improve your answer by adding detail, context, examples, and backing up with references, this would increase your answer's quality. Poor answers risk being down-voted and subsequently removed.  

---

### Answer by username_7 on 2012-11-19. Score: 1

I always try to use the word I hear most in conversation given a context...

And if that's what you're looking for... I think "I wonder..." by itself can be best described as

```
我想

```

If you're trying to describe "I wonder" from a monologuing perspective... you can say:

```
我在想会有几个人去那个派对 (派对: popular Southern Chinese transliteration of "Party")

```

Or add some colloquial flavor by repeating the verb:

```
我在想想...

```


---

