"I don't know nothing"?

[Hieupt]

Dear English experts,

It's confused me whether "I don't know nothing" is either "double-negative" or expressing that "I have no idea"...

Thanks for your help.
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Thank you very much,
Hieu Phan.

P/s: Please just correct if I'm wrong somewhere!

[Sharvari]

hi, i am Sharvari from India
I think "i dont know anything" is proper that "i dont know nothing "
"I Have no idea" is commonly used sentence.

[Vietanhpham_Winter]

I don't know nothing is an old, dated english sentence as it contains a double negative structure. And it mean I know everything. I have no idea or I don't know anything about it are antonymous sentences for it.
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Nothing's impossible! Never say never! They're what I've been following. Hope you to follow them too!

[Shanthisethuraman]

Instead of telling I do'nt know nothing
You can say I know nothing
I think this will be o.k. I feel.

[Hieupt]

[Shanthisethuraman]

Dear Phan
Thank you for your reply reagarding the above, I agree with you that English
is IInd language for me and I am also out of touch with this syllabus
I want to know morething from you like this,please excuse me what I wrote.
More you can help me and more I can improve my level best.

Thank you

S.Shanthi

[Hieupt]

[Bala9008]

"I don't know nothing" -This kind of double or multiple negation is quite common in African American (Vernacular) English.

[Torsten]

The phrase is also used by Caucasian Americans.

TOEFL listening lectures: What does the professor imply about Leonardo da Vinci?

[Sajumon]

But the intended meaning of people who say I don't know nothing is I know nothing or I don't know anything.
Hence, it is really not a double negation.

[Vietanhpham_Winter]

Why? I don't know nothing is absolutely double negative. I know nothing means I don't know anything so if we add the word NOT the sentence then must have the reversed meaning which is I know everything. Compare I want nobody but you and I don't want nobody but you. Of course they have different meanings.
_________________
Nothing's impossible! Never say never! They're what I've been following. Hope you to follow them too!

[Hieupt]

[Vietanhpham_Winter]

It's so ridiculous. I can't expect that there is such IDIOM. Native speakers aren't always right. Some MAs here in Vietnam have many different opinions from native speakers' opinions. In in case, who should I believe in? Sometimes, I don't believe in both. But about this structure, I see many grammar books say that it's double negative and have explanations as I've said. In theory, we must use anyone in a negative clause but when we use double negative which means the sentence become an affirmative one, then of course we can use someone or nobody. For example, I don't know anything about it is relevant to I know nothing about it, which mean I've never heard about it. But I don't know nothing about it? If it means what you've said, then it's grammatically wrong and just can be used in lyrics.
_________________
Nothing's impossible! Never say never! They're what I've been following. Hope you to follow them too!

[Vietanhpham_Winter]

You still had one more mistake. If English WERE my second language... Because in fact, ENGLISH isn't our second language, just foreign language.
_________________
Nothing's impossible! Never say never! They're what I've been following. Hope you to follow them too!

[Ellesbells]

It is a double negative that people sometimes use to mean "I don't know anything" or "I know nothing," although it is grammatically incorrect. It is not an idiom, just a common misuse in some vernaculars. if taken literally it would most closely mean "I know something," but have never heard it used or understood that way.