Difference between revisions of "Potential complement "-bu dong" for not understanding"
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| − | * 我 <strong>听</strong> <em>不懂</em> | + | * 我 <strong>听</strong> <em>不懂</em> 上海话 。 <span class="expl">Literally: hear-not-understand</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong>tīng</strong> <em>bùdǒng</em> Shànghǎi-huà.</span> <span class="trans">I don't understand Shanghai dialect.</span> |
| − | * 很 多 人 <strong>读</strong> <em>不懂</em> 这 本 书 。 <span class="expl">Literally: | + | * 很 多 人 <strong>读</strong> <em>不懂</em> 这 本 书 。 <span class="expl">Literally: read-not-understand</span><span class="pinyin">Hěn duō rén <strong> dú </strong> <em>bùdǒng</em> zhè běn shū.</span> <span class="trans">Many people don't understand this book.</span> |
| − | * 我们 都 <strong>搞</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 她 为什么 这样 做。<span class="expl">Literally: | + | * 我们 都 <strong>搞</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 她 为什么 这样 做。<span class="expl">Literally: make-not-understand</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dōu <strong>gǎo</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> tā wèishénme zhèyàng zuò.</span> <span class="trans">None of us understand why she did this.</span> |
| − | * 你 <strong>看</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 这 些 汉字 吗？<span class="expl">Literally: | + | * 你 <strong>看</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 这 些 汉字 吗？<span class="expl">Literally: read-not-understand</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>kàn</strong> <em>bùdǒng</em> zhè xiē hànzì ma?</span> <span class="trans">Do you not understand these characters?</span> |
| − | * 你 怎么 总是 <strong>听</strong> <em>不懂</em> 我 的 话？<span class="expl">Literally: | + | * 你 怎么 总是 <strong>听</strong> <em>不懂</em> 我 的 话？<span class="expl">Literally: hear-not-understand</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ zěnme zǒngshì <strong>tīng</strong> <em>bùdǒng</em> wǒ de huà?</span> <span class="trans">How could you always not understand what I say?</span> |
| − | * 我 小时候，常常 <strong>听</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 大人 在 说 什么。 <span class="expl">Literally: | + | * 我 小时候，常常 <strong>听</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 大人 在 说 什么。 <span class="expl">Literally: listen-not-understand</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ xiǎo shíhou, chángcháng <strong>tīng</strong> <em>bùdǒng</em> dàrén zài shuō shénme.</span> <span class="trans">When I was young, I often didn't understand what adults talked about.</span> |
| − | * 这 个 句子 很 难， 学生们 都 <strong>读</strong> <em>不 懂</em>。 <span class="expl">Literally: | + | * 这 个 句子 很 难， 学生们 都 <strong>读</strong> <em>不 懂</em>。 <span class="expl">Literally: read-not-understand</span><span class="pinyin">Zhè ge jùzi hěnnán, xuéshengmen dōu <strong> dú </strong> <em>bùdǒng</em>.</span> <span class="trans">This sentence is very difficult. None of the students understand.</span> |
| − | * 父母 常常 <strong>搞</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 孩子 在 想 什么。 <span class="expl">Literally: | + | * 父母 常常 <strong>搞</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 孩子 在 想 什么。 <span class="expl">Literally: make-not-understand</span><span class="pinyin">Fùmǔ chángcháng <strong>gǎo</strong> <em>bùdǒng</em> háizi zài xiǎng shénme.</span> <span class="trans">Parents often don't understand what their kids are thinking.</span> |
| − | * 我 真 <strong>搞</strong> <em> | + | * 我 真 <strong>搞</strong> <em>不懂</em> 你 怎么 会 跟 那 种 人 在 一起？ <span class="expl">Literally: make-not-understand</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ zhēn <strong>gǎo</strong> <em>bùdǒng</em> nǐ zěnme huì gēn zhè zhǒng rén zài yīqǐ?</span><span class="trans">I really can't figure out why you would be with that kind of person.</span> |
| − | * 老板 的 中文 说 得 很好，可是 他 <strong>看</strong> <em>不懂</em> 中文 报纸 。 <span class="expl">Literally: | + | * 老板 的 中文 说 得 很好，可是 他 <strong>看</strong> <em>不懂</em> 中文 报纸 。 <span class="expl">Literally: read-not-understand</span><span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn de Zhōngwén shuō de hěn hǎo, kěshì tā <strong>kàn</strong> <em>bùdǒng</em> Zhōngwén bàozhǐ.</span> <span class="trans">The boss speaks very good Chinese, but he doesn't understand Chinese newspapers.</span> |
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Revision as of 09:09, 14 March 2016
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Keywords
Chinese learners often have to express that they don't understand something, especially in the beginning when they start learning. One of the ways to express that is to use the 不懂 (bù dǒng) verb complement.
Structure
The potential complement 不懂 (bù dǒng) is used to talk about things that can't be understood. Note that this is about potential - the subject doesn't have the ability to understand. The 不懂 (bù dǒng) can also be swapped out with 不明白 (bù míngbai).
Subj. + [Perception verb] + 不懂
Examples
- 我 听 不懂 上海话 。 Literally: hear-not-understand I don't understand Shanghai dialect.
- 很 多 人 读 不懂 这 本 书 。 Literally: read-not-understand Many people don't understand this book.
- 我们 都 搞 不 懂 她 为什么 这样 做。Literally: make-not-understand None of us understand why she did this.
- 你 看 不 懂 这 些 汉字 吗？Literally: read-not-understand Do you not understand these characters?
- 你 怎么 总是 听 不懂 我 的 话？Literally: hear-not-understand How could you always not understand what I say?
- 我 小时候，常常 听 不 懂 大人 在 说 什么。 Literally: listen-not-understand When I was young, I often didn't understand what adults talked about.
- 这 个 句子 很 难， 学生们 都 读 不 懂。 Literally: read-not-understand This sentence is very difficult. None of the students understand.
- 父母 常常 搞 不 懂 孩子 在 想 什么。 Literally: make-not-understand Parents often don't understand what their kids are thinking.
- 我 真 搞 不懂 你 怎么 会 跟 那 种 人 在 一起？ Literally: make-not-understandI really can't figure out why you would be with that kind of person.
- 老板 的 中文 说 得 很好，可是 他 看 不懂 中文 报纸 。 Literally: read-not-understand The boss speaks very good Chinese, but he doesn't understand Chinese newspapers.
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (pp. 242-3, pp. 271 - 329) →buy
- Chinese Grammar Without Tears (简明汉语语法学习手册) (Chapter 6: Complements) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 200 - 201) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 87-8) →buy
- Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 97-9) →buy
- Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼) (pp, 186-7) →buy
Websites
- Wikipedia: Complement (linguistics)
- Baidu Baike (Chinese): 补语
- Blog entry (Chinese): 状态补语
