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: 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>
 
* 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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* 你 现在 <strong>看</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 这 些 句子 的 意思 吗？<span class="expl">(Literally: Right now do you looks-not-understand the meaning of these sentences?)</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ xiànzài <strong>kàn</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> zhè xiē jùzi de yìsi ma?</span> <span class="trans">Right now do you not understand the meaning of these sentences?</span>
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* 你 现在 <strong>看</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 这 些 �汉字 吗？<span class="expl">(Literally: Right now do you looks-not-understand these �characters?)</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ xiànzài <strong>kàn</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> zhè xiē hàzì ma?</span> <span class="trans">Right now 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:How could you always hear-not-understand what I said?)</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 said?</span>
 
* 你 怎么 总是 <strong>听</strong> <em>不懂</em> 我 的 话？<span class="expl">(Literally:How could you always hear-not-understand what I said?)</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 said?</span>
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* 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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* 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 xiǎo shíhou, chángcháng <strong>tīng</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> dàrén zài shuō shénme.</span> <span class="trans">When I was young, I often don't understand what adults talked about.</span>
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* 这些 学生 都 <strong>读</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 写 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> tā xiě de shū.</span> <span class="trans">I don't understand the books he wrote.</span>
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* 这 个 句子 很 难， 学生们 都 <strong>读</strong> <em>不 懂</em>。 <span class="expl">(Literally:This sentence is very difficult.The students all read-not-understand.)</span><span class="pinyin">Zhè ge jùzi hěnnán, xuéshēngmen dou <strong> dú </strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> tā xiě de shū.</span> <span class="trans">This sentence is very difficult.All the students don't understand.</span>
 
* 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">Fùmǔ  chángcháng <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>
 
* 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">Fùmǔ  chángcháng <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> 你 怎么 会 跟 这 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>
 
* 我 真 <strong>搞</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 你 怎么 会 跟 这 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>

Revision as of 02:41, 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

  • 我 听 不懂 上海话。 (Literally: I hear-not-understand Shanghai dialect.)Wǒ tīng bùdǒng Shànghǎi huà. I don't understand Shanghai dialect.
  • 很 多 人 读 不懂 这 本 书 。 (Literally: Many people read-not-understand this book.)Hěn duō rén dú bùdǒng zhè běn shū. Many people don't understand this book.
  • 我们 都 搞 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.
  • 你 现在 看 不 懂 这 些 �汉字 吗？(Literally: Right now do you looks-not-understand these �characters?)Nǐ xiànzài kàn bù dǒng zhè xiē hàzì ma? Right now do you not understand these �characters?
  • 你 怎么 总是 听 不懂 我 的 话？(Literally:How could you always hear-not-understand what I said?)Nǐ zěnme zǒngshì tīng bùdǒng wǒ de huà? How could you always not understand what I said?
  • 我 小时候，常常 听 不 懂 大人 在 说 什么。 (Literally: I also listen-not-understand Chinese)Wǒ xiǎo shíhou, chángcháng tīng bù dǒng dàrén zài shuō shénme. When I was young, I often don't understand what adults talked about.
  • 这 个 句子 很 难， 学生们 都 读 不 懂。 (Literally:This sentence is very difficult.The students all read-not-understand.)Zhè ge jùzi hěnnán, xuéshēngmen dou dú bù dǒng tā xiě de shū. This sentence is very difficult.All the students don't understand.
  • 父母 常常 搞 不 懂 孩子 在 想 什么。 (Literally: Parents often make-not-understand what their kids have been thinking.)Fùmǔ chángcháng gǎo bù dǒng hāizi zài xiǎng shénme. Parents often don't understand what their kids have been thinking.
  • 我 真 搞 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?
  • 老板 的 中文 说 得 很好，可是 他 看 不懂 中文 报纸 。 (Literally: The boss speaks very good Chinese but he sees-not-understand Chinese newspapers.)Lǎobǎn de Zhōngwén shuō de hěnhǎo, kěshì tākàn bùdǒng Zhōngwén bàozhǐ. The boss speaks very good Chinese but he doesn't understand Chinese newspapers.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites

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