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> A) 「ちがうっ、量が肝心だよォ」  
>  A) That's wrong. Quantity is vital.  
>  B)「わかんないこと言うんじゃないのっ」  
>  B) Didn't I say that I don't understand.

The context is that A is trying to get B to buy more stuff. B explains that
quantity is not important.

I think my translation of the second sentence must be wrong. Neither A nor B
say that they don't understand anything. Furthermore, why is こと used rather
than just と? And, why is it わかんない rather than わからない? Is that just a standard
contraction? Also I'm guessing there's a を that's been omitted?
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2016-05-08T18:39:15.453
34021
2016-05-08T23:22:58.523
2016-05-08T23:22:58.523
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question
grammar contractions nominalization
Understanding わかんないこと言うんじゃないのっ
To start with the easiest part, 「わか **ん** ない」 is just the Kanto colloquial
pronunciation of 「わか **ら** ない」, and I will use the dictionary form in my
explanation.

It appears to me that you are thinking of the " ** _other_** "「わからない」, which
is the negative form of the **_verb_** 「わかる」, are you not?

The 「わからない」 in the context in question needs to be understood and treated as
an **_adjective_** , which is why it can take 「こと」 with it. **_It means "not
sensible", "dense", "dull-witted", etc_**.

> 「Verb in Dictionary Form + の/ん + では/じゃ + ないの」

is a negative imperative form; therefore 「言うんじゃないのっ」 means "Don't say ~~!"

「わかんないこと言うんじゃないのっ」 thus literally means "Don't say an insensible thing!". So
all you have to do now would be to turn that into natural English. I am in no
position to give you natural English for obvious reasons, but the phrase that
came instantly into my mind upon reading this question was indeed **_"Don't
gimme crap!"_**

> why is こと used rather than just と?

Because 「わかんない」 is used as an adjective here. Noun 「こと」 can follow it
naturally and smoothly. Using 「と」 is impossible because the speaker is not
quoting.

> Also I'm guessing there's a を that's been omitted?

Precisely. 「わか **ん** ない」 is colloquial and so is 「言う **んじゃないのっ** 」. One should
reasonably expect particle omission in such speech.
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2016-05-08T20:12:00.617
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2016-05-08T22:14:45.910
2016-05-08T22:14:45.910
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answer