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>
* 你 <strong>看</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 这 些 汉字 吗?<span class="expl">(Literally: Do you looks-not-understand these characters?)</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>kàn</strong> <em>bù dǒng</em> zhè xiē hànzì ma?</span> <span class="trans">Do you not understand these characters?</span>
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* 你 <strong>看</strong> <em>不 懂 </em> 这 些 汉字 吗?<span class="expl">(Literally: Do you looks-not-understand these characters?)</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ <strong>kàn</strong> <em>bù dǒng</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: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 say?</span>
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* 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 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: When I was little, I often listen-not-understand what adults were saying.)</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 didn't understand what adults talked about.</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: When I was little, I often listen-not-understand what adults were saying.)</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 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:This sentence is very difficult.The students all read-not-understand.)</span><span class="pinyin">Zhè ge jùzi hěnnán, xuéshēngmen 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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* 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 dōu <strong> dú </strong> <em>bù dǒng</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: 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>
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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">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 那 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 that kind of person.</span>
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* 我 真 <strong>搞</strong> <em>不 懂 </em> 你 怎么 会 跟 那 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 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: The boss speaks very good Chinese but he sees-not-understand Chinese newspapers.)</span><span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn de Zhōngwén shuō de hěnhǎo, 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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* 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: The boss speaks very good Chinese but he sees-not-understand Chinese newspapers.)</span><span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn de Zhōngwén shuō de hěnhǎo, 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 03:40, 17 February 2016

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 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.
  • 不 懂 这 些 汉字 吗?(Literally: Do you looks-not-understand these characters?)kàn bù dǒng zhè xiē hànzì ma? Do you not understand these characters?
  • 你 怎么 总是 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 say?
  • 我 小时候,常常 不 懂 大人 在 说 什么。 (Literally: When I was little, I often listen-not-understand what adults were saying.)Wǒ xiǎo shíhou, chángcháng tīng bù dǒng dàrén zài shuō shénme. When I was young, I often didn't understand what adults talked about.
  • 这 个 句子 很 难, 学生们 都 不 懂 (Literally:This sentence is very difficult.The students all read-not-understand.)Zhè ge jùzi hěnnán, xuéshēngmen dōu bù dǒng. This sentence is very difficult. None of the students understand.
  • 父母 常常 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 不 懂 你 怎么 会 跟 那 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 that kind of person.
  • 老板 的 中文 说 得 很好,可是 他 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 tā kàn bùdǒng Zhōngwén bàozhǐ. The boss speaks very good Chinese, but he doesn't understand Chinese newspapers.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites