Difference between revisions of "Potential complement "-bu dong" for not understanding"
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* 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> | * 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> | ||
* 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 hěn nán, xuéshengmen dōu <strong> dú </strong> <em>bùdǒng</em>.</span> <span class="trans">This sentence is very difficult. None of the students understand.</span> | * 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 hěn nán, xuéshengmen dōu <strong> dú </strong> <em>bùdǒng</em>.</span> <span class="trans">This sentence is very difficult. None of the students understand.</span> | ||
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Revision as of 03:22, 11 January 2017
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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.
Subj. + Verb + 不懂
The 不懂 (bù dǒng) may be swapped out with 不明白 (bù míngbai).
Examples
- 你 看 不 懂 这 些 汉字 吗？Literally: read-not-understand Do you not understand these characters?
- 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.
- 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 听 不懂 上海话 。 Literally: hear-not-understand I don't understand Shanghai dialect.
- 我 小 时候，常常 听 不 懂 大人 在 说 什么。 Literally: hear-not-understand When I was young, I often didn't understand what adults talked about.
- 很 多 人 读 不懂 这 本 书 。 Literally: read-not-understand Many people don't understand this book.
- 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.
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
