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
---------

Yes, 不懂 (bù dǒng) by itself simply means "not understand," and you can
use it this way. But you'll find that more often, it follows a verb.
When used this way, it is a [complement](complement "wikilink").

The [potential complement](potential_complement "wikilink") 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.

<div class="jiegou">
Subj. + Verb + 不懂

</div>
The 不懂 (bù dǒng) may also be swapped out with 不明白 (bù míngbai).

Examples
--------

<div class="liju">
-   我 <strong>看</strong> <em>不 懂</em> 这 本
    书。<span class="expl pdf-long-expl">Literally,
    "read-not-understand"</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ
    <strong>kàn</strong> <em>bu 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 pdf-long-expl">Literally,
    "read-not-understand"</span><span class="pinyin">Háizi men
    <strong>kàn</strong> <em>bu 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 pdf-long-expl">Literally,
    "read-not-understand"</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ
    <strong>kàn</strong> <em>bu 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 pdf-long-expl">Literally,
    "read-not-understand"</span><span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn de Zhōngwén
    shuō de hěn hǎo, kěshì tā <strong>kàn</strong> <em>bu 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 pdf-long-expl">Literally,
    "hear-not-understand"</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ
    <strong>tīng</strong> <em>bu 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 pdf-long-expl">Literally,
    "hear-not-understand"</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐmen
    <strong>tīng</strong> <em>bu 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 pdf-long-expl">Literally,
    "hear-not-understand"</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ
    <strong>tīng</strong> <em>bu 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 pdf-long-expl">Literally,
    "hear-not-understand"</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dōu
    <strong>tīng</strong> <em>bu 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 pdf-long-expl">Literally,
    "read-not-understand"</span><span class="pinyin">Hěn duō rén
    <strong> dú </strong> <em>bu 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 pdf-long-expl">Literally,
    "read-not-understand"</span><span class="pinyin">Zhège jùzi hěn nán,
    xuéshengmen dōu <strong> dú </strong> <em>bu
    dǒng</em>.</span><span class="trans">This sentence is
    very difficult. None of the students understand.</span>

</div>
See also
--------

-   [Potential complement "bu
    xia"](Potential_complement_"bu_xia" "wikilink")
-   [Positive and negative potential
    complements](Positive_and_negative_potential_complements "wikilink")

Sources and further reading
---------------------------

### Books

-   [A Practical Chinese Grammar For
    Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法)](A_Practical_Chinese_Grammar_For_Foreigners_(外国人实用汉语语法) "wikilink") (pp.
    242-3, pp. 271 - 329)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA)
-   [Chinese Grammar Without
    Tears (简明汉语语法学习手册)](Chinese_Grammar_Without_Tears_(简明汉语语法学习手册) "wikilink")
    (Chapter 6: Complements)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B0041UGAJU&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B0041UGAJU)
-   [New Practical Chinese Reader
    3 (新实用汉语课本3)](New_Practical_Chinese_Reader_3_(新实用汉语课本3) "wikilink") (pp.
    200 - 201)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/756191251X/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=756191251X)
-   [New Practical Chinese Reader
    2 (新实用汉语课本2)](New_Practical_Chinese_Reader_2_(新实用汉语课本2) "wikilink") (pp.
    87-8)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561911297/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561911297)
-   [Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second
    Edition](Chinese:_An_Essential_Grammar,_Second_Edition "wikilink") (pp.
    97-9)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0415372615)
-   [Practicing HSK
    Grammar (语法精讲精炼)](Practicing_HSK_Grammar_(语法精讲精炼) "wikilink")
    (pp, 186-7)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001N6R7DI&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001N6R7DI)

### Websites

-   Wikipedia:
    [Complement (linguistics)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complement_(linguistics))
-   Baidu Baike (Chinese):
    [补语](http://baike.baidu.com/view/146650.htm)
-   Blog entry (Chinese):
    [状态补语](http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_610d94db0100hj5u.html)

[Category:A2 grammar points](Category:A2_grammar_points "wikilink")
[Category:Potential
complement](Category:Potential_complement "wikilink")