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Can anyone help explaining the nuance in difference between:

私はまったく分かりません。

私にはまったく分かりません。

With expressions such as ヨーロッパには行く (versus は) I can see what affect including the に particle within the scope of the sentence has (i.e. I will go to Europe (specifically, likely not anywhere else).

I don't see any difference with 私には, however.

Cheers,

Luke

Mathieu Bouville
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Luke McAloon
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    Possible duplicate of [が and に interchangeability and difference in meaning](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/4440/%e3%81%8c-and-%e3%81%ab-interchangeability-and-difference-in-meaning) – istrasci Feb 01 '19 at 21:21
  • Answers on the linked question primarly discuss the syntax (using parallels to English), not the difference in nuance. If anything the parallels to English are misleading in terms of meaning nuance. – Darius Jahandarie Feb 02 '19 at 01:47

1 Answers1

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I feel like in the case of

私{わたし}には分{わ}かりません

... the に is there to emphasize that you are referring to an ability or condition within yourself (perhaps like you were categorically negating the idea that you could possibly know). 私は分かりません seems more matter-of-fact, simply contrasting your knowledge to everyone else's.

This could be similar to the difference between "I don't know" and ("I wouldn't know" or "I'm not in a position to know").

So you might translate a similar example this way,

  • 彼{かれ}は分からないと思{おも}う - I don't think he knows
  • 彼には分からないと思う - I don't think he would know or I don't think he's in the position to know
sazarando
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