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    誰の仕業か分からない (Dare no shiwaza ka wakaranai - I don't know whose doing it is)

    Grammar & Usage

    fixed expression
    neutral

    How it works

    This phrase combines '誰の仕業' (whose doing/work) with the interrogative particle 'か' (ka) followed by '分からない' (wakaranai - do not know). The 'か' turns the preceding statement into a question embedded within '分からない', meaning "I don't know [question]". It's a common way to express not knowing the perpetrator of an act, often implying something mysterious or troublesome.

    Sample sentences

    この落書きは一体誰の仕業か分からない。

    I don't know whose doing this graffiti is.

    冷蔵庫のケーキがなくなっている。誰の仕業か分からない。

    The cake in the fridge is gone. I don't know who did it.

    誰の仕業か分からないけど、パソコンが変なことになっている。

    I don't know whose doing it is, but the computer is acting strangely.

    Quick facts

    nuance:「仕業」 (shiwaza) often carries a nuance of something negative, mischievous, or even criminal, rather than a neutral or positive act. It implies someone 'did' something that caused a particular situation, often a problem.
    politeness:The phrase uses the plain form '分からない'. For a more polite version, one would say '分かりません' (wakarimasen).

    Mnemonic

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    Example

    この落書きは一体誰の仕業か分からない。

    I don't know whose doing this graffiti is.

    冷蔵庫のケーキがなくなっている。誰の仕業か分からない。

    The cake in the fridge is gone. I don't know who did it.

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