知しらず知しらず

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Common wordJLPTN1

Meanings

adverb

unconsciously; without realizing; unwittingly

Describes an action or change that happens without the person being aware of it; often used when something gradually occurs or when one does something automatically.

知しらず知しらずのうちに、彼かれは同おなじ歌うたを口くちずさんでいた。
Unconsciously, he was humming the same song.
知しらず知しらずに悪わるい習しゅう慣かんが身みについてしまった。
Without realizing it, I picked up a bad habit.

See all 12 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

知しらず知しらずのうちに〈動どう詞し〉to do something gradually without realizing it
知しらず知しらずのうちに、彼かれのことが好すきになっていた。
Without realizing it, I had fallen in love with him.
知しらず知しらず〜てしまうto end up doing something unconsciously
疲つかれていたので、知しらず知しらず居い眠ねむりをしてしまった。
I was so tired that I ended up dozing off without realizing it.

Kanji

知know, wisdom
識discriminating, know, write
不negative, non-, bad

Related words

無む意い識しきN1
無意識 is a noun/adjective describing an unconscious state in general, while 知らず知らず specifically describes an action or change happening gradually without the person noticing.
いつの間まにかN3
いつの間にか emphasizes that time passed unnoticed, whereas 知らず知らず emphasizes the subject's own lack of awareness of what they were doing.
思おもわずN3
知らず知らず describes something happening gradually without one noticing, whereas 思わず describes a sudden, instant reaction.

Opposites

意い識しき的てきN3
意識的 describes doing something deliberately and consciously, the opposite of 知らず知らず, which describes acting without realizing it.

Written forms

知しらず知しらず
Standard kanji spelling; the repetition of 知らず is the most common written form.
知しらず識しらず
rarely-used kanji form
Rare variant using 識 for the second occurrence; it is rarely used.
不知不識しらずしらず
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form using 不 for negation; it is rarely used.

Etymology

Reduplication of the negative form of 知る (to know), literally 'without knowing, without knowing', emphasizing an unconscious or unwitting state.