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Potential complement 不懂 ("bu4dong3") for not understanding

懂 bù dǒng

Grammar
HSK 2

Structure

Subj. + Verb + 不懂

Definition

“不懂”用作可能补语，表示动作行为的结果是未能理解或明白。

Used as a potential complement, '不懂' indicates that the outcome of an action is failure to understand or comprehend.

Usage

常跟在“看、听、读、想”等动词后，形成“V+不懂”结构，表达主体无法通过该动作理解某事物。

Often follows verbs like '看' (look), '听' (listen), '读' (read), '想' (think) to form the 'V+不懂' structure, expressing that the subject cannot understand something through that action.

Examples

  • 1 我看不懂这篇古文。 (I cannot understand this classical Chinese text.)
  • 2 他说的英语太快，我听不懂。 (He speaks English too fast, I can't understand him.)
  • 3 这本书太难，我读不懂。 (This book is too difficult, I can't understand it.)
  • 4 我实在想不懂他为什么这么做。 (I really can't understand why he did that.)
  • 5 这个笑话的笑点在哪里？我完全看不懂。 (Where's the punchline of this joke? I totally don't get it.)

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