З-172

КАК (ПОЧЁМ) ЗНАТЬ coll indep. sent or sent adv (parenth) these forms only fixed WO

although it is not known, it is entirely possible (when used as a rejoinder, may imply that the opposite may be true)

who knows?

you never know (one never knows) you (one) never can tell who can tell? how can you (one) tell? how can you (one) be sure? therefe no telling (knowing) I (he, it etc) might...

"...Поздно мне каяться. Для меня не будет помилования. Буду продолжать как начал. Как знать? Авось и удастся!» (Пушкин 2). "It's too late for me to repent. There'll be no mercy for me. I will continue as I have begun. Who knows? Perhaps I'll succeed" (2b).

«Вы - не Достоевский», - сказала гражданка, сбиваемая с толку Коровьевым. «Ну, почем знать, почём знать», — ответил тот (Булгаков 9). uYou are not Dostoevsky," said the woman, somewhat rattled by Koroviev's logic. "You never can tell, you never can tell," he answered (9a).

Всех же не выгонишь и не посадишь». - «Как знать, - сказал Антон. — Если нужно, могут посадить и всех» (Зиновьев 2). "And they can't expel everyone or send them all to jail." "How can you tell?" said Anton. "If they had to, they wouldn't be past jailing everybody" (2a).