Difference between revisions of "Potential complement "-bu dong" for not understanding"
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| − | * 我 <strong>看</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 这 本 书。<span class="expl">Literally: read-not-understand</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong>kàn</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> zhè běn shū.</span> <span class="trans">I don't understand the book.</span> | + | * 我 <strong>看</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 这 本 书。<span class="expl">Literally: "read-not-understand"</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong>kàn</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> zhè běn shū.</span> <span class="trans">I don't understand the book.</span> |
| − | * 孩子们 <strong>看</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 你 写 的 汉字。<span class="expl">Literally: read-not-understand</span><span class="pinyin">Háizi men <strong>kàn</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> nǐ xiě de hànzì.</span> <span class="trans">Kids don't understand the characters that you wrote.</span> | + | * 孩子们 <strong>看</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 你 写 的 汉字。<span class="expl">Literally: "read-not-understand"</span><span class="pinyin">Háizi men <strong>kàn</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> nǐ xiě de hànzì.</span> <span class="trans">Kids don't understand the characters that you wrote.</span> |
| − | * 你 <strong>看</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 我 的 邮件 吗？<span class="expl">Literally: read-not-understand</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>kàn</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> wǒ de yóujiàn ma?</span> <span class="trans">Do you not understand my emails?</span> | + | * 你 <strong>看</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 我 的 邮件 吗？<span class="expl">Literally: "read-not-understand"</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>kàn</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> wǒ de yóujiàn ma?</span> <span class="trans">Do you not understand my emails?</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: read-not-understand</span><span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn de Zhōngwén shuō de hěn hǎo, kěshì tā <strong>kàn</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> Zhōngwén bàozhǐ.</span> <span class="trans">The boss speaks very good Chinese, but he doesn't understand Chinese newspapers.</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: "read-not-understand"</span><span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn de Zhōngwén shuō de hěn hǎo, kěshì tā <strong>kàn</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> Zhōngwén bàozhǐ.</span> <span class="trans">The boss speaks very good Chinese, but he doesn't understand Chinese newspapers.</span> |
| − | * 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>bù dǒng</em> Shànghǎi-huà.</span> <span class="trans">I don't understand Shanghai dialect.</span> | + | * 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>bù dǒng</em> Shànghǎi-huà.</span> <span class="trans">I don't understand Shanghai dialect.</span> |
| − | * 你们 <strong>听</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 我 的 话 吗？<span class="expl">Literally: hear-not-understand</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐmen <strong>tīng</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> wǒ de huà ma?</span> <span class="trans">Do you not understand what I say?</span> | + | * 你们 <strong>听</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 我 的 话 吗？<span class="expl">Literally: "hear-not-understand"</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐmen <strong>tīng</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> wǒ de huà ma?</span> <span class="trans">Do you not understand what I say?</span> |
| − | * 我 <strong>听</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 你 说 的 英语。 <span class="expl">Literally: hear-not-understand</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong>tīng</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> nǐ shuō de Yīngyǔ.</span> <span class="trans">I don't understand your English.</span> | + | * 我 <strong>听</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 你 说 的 英语。 <span class="expl">Literally: "hear-not-understand"</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong>tīng</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> nǐ shuō de Yīngyǔ.</span> <span class="trans">I don't understand your English.</span> |
| − | * 我们 都 <strong>听</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 你 的 意思。 <span class="expl">Literally: hear-not-understand</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dōu <strong>tīng</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> nǐ de yìsi.</span> <span class="trans">None of us understand what you mean.</span> | + | * 我们 都 <strong>听</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 你 的 意思。 <span class="expl">Literally: "hear-not-understand"</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dōu <strong>tīng</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> nǐ de yìsi.</span> <span class="trans">None of us understand what you mean.</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>bù dǒng</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>bù dǒng</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">Zhège jùzi hěn nán, xuéshengmen dōu <strong> dú </strong> <em>bù dǒng</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">Zhège jùzi hěn nán, xuéshengmen dōu <strong> dú </strong> <em>bù dǒng</em>.</span> <span class="trans">This sentence is very difficult. None of the students understand.</span> |
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Revision as of 06:43, 4 February 2017
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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.
Subj. + Verb + 不懂
The 不懂 (bù dǒng) may be swapped out with 不明白 (bù míngbai).
Examples
- 我 看 不 懂 这 本 书。Literally: "read-not-understand" I don't understand the book.
- 孩子们 看 不 懂 你 写 的 汉字。Literally: "read-not-understand" Kids don't understand the characters that you wrote.
- 你 看 不 懂 我 的 邮件 吗？Literally: "read-not-understand" Do you not understand my emails?
- 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.
- 我 听 不 懂 上海话 。 Literally: "hear-not-understand" I don't understand Shanghai dialect.
- 你们 听 不 懂 我 的 话 吗？Literally: "hear-not-understand" Do you not understand what I say?
- 我 听 不 懂 你 说 的 英语。 Literally: "hear-not-understand" I don't understand your English.
- 我们 都 听 不 懂 你 的 意思。 Literally: "hear-not-understand" None of us understand what you mean.
- 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
