The plain negative 〜ない is cut to 〜ん: 知らない → 知らん, わからない → わからん, いらない → いらん, かまわない → かまわん. The meaning is the same; only the ending changes. Kansai speakers also use 〜へん for the same thing (知らへん, わからへん).
Normal everyday speech in Kansai and other western areas. In Tokyo speech it sounds gruff or old-fashioned.
One performer acts out scolding someone for bad manners, insisting you have to warn people firmly.
'Cause nobody calls people out while smoking a cigarette.
Textbookタバコを吸いながら注意する人はいませんから。Negative "ない" shortens to "ん": "おらない" → "おらん" (= "いない").
When Suica, the famous train card, comes up, one performer insists on a different card and a railway line the other has never heard of.
Culture note Suica (also the word for 'watermelon') is Japan's best-known train IC card, and 'TR' echoes JR, the major railway company.
Why don't you get it?
Textbookどうして分からないのですか。「分からない」 shortens to 「分からん」 (「〜ない」 → 「〜ん」); question 「の」 follows, and casual 「なんで」 stands for 「どうして」.
One performer claims that asking about someone's houseplant is a good way to meet people, and the other doubts anyone meets that way.
You won't know till you try.
Textbookやってみないと分かりませんよ。Negative "ない" shortens to "ん": "分からない" → "分からん". Same in "やってみないと" → "やってみんと".
One performer excitedly announces a great idea, and the other keeps asking what it is.
I don't get what that means.
Textbook意味が分からないんです。Negative "ない" shortens to "ん": "分からない" → "分からん". Particle "が" after "意味" is also dropped.
The performer recalls a snack being called unhygienic just because it has a picture of a mouse on it.
Culture note Pakkuncho is a popular Japanese snack whose small biscuits have Disney characters, including Mickey Mouse, printed on them.
You don't know Mickey?
Textbookミッキーを知らないのですか。「知らない」 shortens to Kansai-style 「知らん」 (「〜ない」 → 「〜ん」); blunt 「のか」 matches polite 「のですか」.
One performer says they'll become a thief, claiming TV stations would then send them job offers; the other doubts it.
Culture note Shochiku Geino is a major Japanese talent agency, and most professional comedians belong to an agency like it.
Between some random thief nobody's ever heard of,
Textbookどこの馬の骨か分からない泥棒とですね、Negative "ない" shortens to "ん": "分からない" → "分からん". Common in western Japan.
From other routines in the library. Automatic transcripts, not yet checked line by line.
知らん means “don’t know / don’t need…” (〜ない → 〜ん). The plain negative 〜ない is cut to 〜ん: 知らない → 知らん, わからない → わからん, いらない → いらん, かまわない → かまわん. The meaning is the same; only the ending changes. Kansai speakers also use 〜へん for the same thing (知らへん, わからへん).
With friends: OK. With coworkers: careful. With a boss or teacher: avoid. Normal everyday speech in Kansai and other western areas. In Tokyo speech it sounds gruff or old-fashioned.
In 2,334 live comedy routines, 知らん appears in 553 lines from 113 comedians.