Difference between revisions of "Potential complement "-bu dong" for not understanding"

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* 我 <strong>听</strong> <em>不懂</em> 上海话。 <span class="expl">(Literally: I hear-not-understand Shanghai dialect.)</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong>tīng</strong> <em>bùdǒng</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: I hear-not-understand Shanghai dialect.)</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: Many people read-not-understand this book.)</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: Many people read-not-understand this book.)</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: We all think-not-understand why she did this.)</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dōu <strong>gǎo</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> tā wèishénme zhèyàng zuò.</span> <span class="trans">We all don't understand why she did this.</span>
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* 我们 都 <strong></strong> <em>不 懂</em> 她 为什么 这样 做。<span class="expl">(Literally: We all think-not-understand why she did this.)</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dōu <strong>gǎo</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> tā wèishénme zhèyàng zuò.</span> <span class="trans">We all don't understand why she did this.</span>
*�他 现在 <strong>看</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 这 些 句子 的 意思。 <span class="expl">(Literally: Right now he looks-not-understand the meaning of these sentences.)</span><span class="pinyin">Tā xiànzài <strong>kàn</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> zhè xiē jùzi de yìsi.</span> <span class="trans">Right now he doesn't understand the meaning of these sentences.</span>
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* 现在 <strong>看</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 这 些 句子 的 意思。 <span class="expl">(Literally: Right now he looks-not-understand the meaning of these sentences.)</span><span class="pinyin">Tā xiànzài <strong>kàn</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> zhè xiē jùzi de yìsi.</span> <span class="trans">Right now he doesn't understand the meaning of these sentences.</span>
*�我 小时候,常常 <strong>听</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 大人 在 说 什么。 <span class="expl"> (Literally: I also listen-not-understand Chinese)</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ yě <strong>tīng</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> Zhōngwén.</span> <span class="trans">I also don't understand Chinese.</span>
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* 小时候,常常 <strong>听</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 大人 在 说 什么。 <span class="expl"> (Literally: I also listen-not-understand Chinese)</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ yě <strong>tīng</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> Zhōngwén.</span> <span class="trans">I also don't understand Chinese.</span>
*我 <strong>读</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 他 的 书。 <span class="expl">(Literally: I read-not-understand what you write.)</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong> dú </strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> xiě shénme.</span> <span class="trans">I don't understand what you are writing.</span>
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*我 <strong>读</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 他 的 书。 <span class="expl">(Literally: I read-not-understand the books he wrote.)</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong> dú </strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> xiě de shū.</span> <span class="trans">I don't understand the books he wrote.</span>
* �父母 常常 <strong>搞</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 孩子 在 想 什么。 <span class="expl">(Literally: We all make-not-understand what he wants)</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dōu <strong>gǎo</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> zài xiǎng shénme.</span> <span class="trans">We all don't understand what he is thinking.</span>
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* 父母 常常 <strong>搞</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 孩子 在 想 什么。 <span class="expl">(Literally: Parents often make-not-understand what their kids have been thinking.)</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dōu <strong>gǎo</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> hāizi zài xiǎng shénme.</span> <span class="trans">Parents often don't understand what their kids have been thinking.</span>
*我 真 <strong>搞</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 这 个 人。 <span class="expl">(Literally: I really make-not-understand this person.</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ zhēn <strong>gǎo</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> zhè ge rén.</span><span class="trans">I really can't figure out this person.</span>
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* 我 真 <strong>搞</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 你 怎么 会 跟 种 人 在 一起? <span class="expl">(Literally: I really make-not-understand why you would be with this kind of person.</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ zhēn <strong>gǎo</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> zěnme huì gēn zhè zhǒng rén zài yīqǐ.</span><span class="trans">I really can't figure out why you would be with this kind of person.</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 02:15, 2 November 2015

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

  • 不懂 中文 的 报纸 。 (Literally: I see-not-understand Chinese newspapers.)kàn bùdǒng Zhōngwén de bàozhǐ. I don't understand Chinese newspapers.
  • 不懂 上海话。 (Literally: I hear-not-understand Shanghai dialect.)tīng bùdǒng Shànghǎi huà. I don't understand Shanghai dialect.
  • 很 多 人 不懂 这 本 书 。 (Literally: Many people read-not-understand this book.)Hěn duō rén bùdǒng zhè běn shū. Many people don't understand this book.
  • 我们 都 不 懂 她 为什么 这样 做。(Literally: We all think-not-understand why she did this.)Wǒmen dōu gǎo bù dǒng tā wèishénme zhèyàng zuò. We all don't understand why she did this.
  • 他 现在 不 懂 这 些 句子 的 意思。 (Literally: Right now he looks-not-understand the meaning of these sentences.)Tā xiànzài kàn bù dǒng zhè xiē jùzi de yìsi. Right now he doesn't understand the meaning of these sentences.
  • 我 小时候,常常 不 懂 大人 在 说 什么。 (Literally: I also listen-not-understand Chinese)Wǒ yě tīng bù dǒng Zhōngwén. I also don't understand Chinese.
  • 不 懂 他 写 的 书。 (Literally: I read-not-understand the books he wrote.) bù dǒng tā xiě de shū. I don't understand the books he wrote.
  • 父母 常常 不 懂 孩子 在 想 什么。 (Literally: Parents often make-not-understand what their kids have been thinking.)Wǒmen dōu gǎo bù dǒng hāizi zài xiǎng shénme. Parents often don't understand what their kids have been thinking.
  • 我 真 不 懂 你 怎么 会 跟 这 种 人 在 一起? (Literally: I really make-not-understand why you would be with this kind of person.Wǒ zhēn gǎo bù dǒng zěnme huì gēn zhè zhǒng rén zài yīqǐ.I really can't figure out why you would be with this kind of person.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites