指不定

zhǐbudìng

adverb #37,129

Meanings

1 who knows
2 maybe
3 cannot say for sure

Characters

to point / indicate

to fix / determine

Examples

他指不定什么时候回来。

Tā zhǐbudìng shénme shíhou huílai.

Who knows when he will be back.

指不定明天就下雪了。

Zhǐbudìng míngtiān jiù xià xuě le.

It might just snow tomorrow — you never know.

Tips

register

Colloquial, very common in northern Mandarin. Synonymous with 说不定 (shuōbudìng) but slightly more informal. Always followed by a clause expressing speculation.

Stroke Order

指 zhǐ

不 bù

定 dìng