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  <h1>Potential complement "<span class="pinyinst">-bu don</span>g" "<span class="hanzist">不懂</span>" for not understanding</h1>

  <p>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.</p>

  <h2 id="structure">Structure</h2>

  <p>Yes, <span class="hanzi">不懂</span> (<span class="pinyin">bù dǒng</span>) 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.</p>

  <p>The potential complement <span class="hanzi">不懂</span> (<span class="pinyin">bù dǒng</span>) 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.</p>

  <div class="deux">
    <p>Subj. + Verb + <span class="hanzist">不懂</span></p>
  </div>

  <p>The <span class="hanzi">不懂</span> (<span class="pinyin">bù dǒng</span>) may also be swapped out with <span class="hanzi">不明白</span> (<span class="pinyin">bù míngbai</span>).</p>

  <h2 id="examples">Examples</h2>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">我 看 不 懂 这 本 书。</span><br/><span class="vert">Literally, "read-not-understand"</span> <br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒ kàn bu dǒng zhè běn shū.</span> <br/>I don't understand the book.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">孩子们 看 不 懂 你 写 的 汉字。</span><br/><span class="vert">Literally, "read-not-understand"</span> <br/><span class="pinyin">Háizi men kàn bu dǒng nǐ xiě de Hànzì.</span> <br/>Kids don't understand the characters that you wrote.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你 看 不 懂 我 的 邮件 吗？</span><br/><span class="vert">Literally, "read-not-understand"</span> <br/><span class="pinyin">Nǐ kàn bu dǒng wǒ de yóujiàn ma?</span> <br/>Do you not understand my emails?</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">老板 的 中文 说 得 很好，可是 他 看 不 懂 中文 报纸。</span> <br/><span class="vert">Literally, "read-not-understand"</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn de Zhōngwén shuō de hěn hǎo, kěshì tā kàn bu dǒng Zhōngwén bàozhǐ.</span> <br/>The boss speaks very good Chinese, but he doesn't understand Chinese newspapers.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 听 不 懂 上海话 。</span> <br/><span class="vert">Literally, "hear-not-understand"</span> <br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒ tīng bu dǒng Shànghǎi-huà.</span><br/> I don't understand Shanghai dialect.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你们 听 不 懂 我 的 话 吗？</span><br/><span class="vert">Literally, "hear-not-understand"</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">Nǐmen tīng bu dǒng wǒ de huà ma?</span> <br/>Do you not understand what I say?</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 听 不 懂 你 说 的 英语。</span><br/> <span class="vert">Literally, "hear-not-understand"</span><br/><span class="pinyin"> Wǒ tīng bu dǒng nǐ shuō de Yīngyǔ.</span><br/> I don't understand your English.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我们 都 听 不 懂 你 的 意思。</span> <br/><span class="vert">Literally, "hear-not-understand"</span> <br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dōu tīng bu dǒng nǐ de yìsi.</span> <br/>None of us understand what you mean.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">很 多 人 读 不懂 这 本 书 。</span> <br/><span class="vert">Literally, "read-not-understand"</span><br/><span class="pinyin"> Hěn duō rén dú bu dǒng zhè běn shū.</span> <br/>Many people don't understand this book.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">这 个 句子 很 难， 学生们 都 读 不 懂。</span><br/> <span class="vert">Literally, "read-not-understand"</span> <br/><span class="pinyin">Zhège jùzi hěn nán, xuéshengmen dōu dú bu dǒng.</span> <br/>This sentence is very difficult. None of the students understand.</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>

  <ul>
    <li><a href="Potential_complement_&quot;bu_xia&quot;" title="wikilink">Potential complement "bu xia"</a></li>

    <li><a href="Positive_and_negative_potential_complements" title="wikilink">Positive and negative potential complements</a></li>
  </ul>

  <h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2>

  <h3 id="books">Books</h3>

  <ul>
    <li>A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (<span class="hanzi">外国人实用汉语语法</span>) (pp. 242-3, pp. 271 - 329)</li>

    <li>Chinese Grammar Without Tears (<span class="hanzi">简明汉语语法学习手册</span>) (Chapter 6: Complements)</li>

    <li>New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (<span class="hanzi">新实用汉语课本3</span>) (pp. 200 - 201)</li>

    <li>New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (<span class="hanzi">新实用汉语课本2</span>) (pp. 87-8)</li>

    <li>Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 97-9)</li>

    <li>Practicing HSK Grammar (<span class="hanzi">语法精讲精炼</span>) (pp, 186-7)</li>
  </ul>

  <h3 id="websites">Websites</h3>

  <ul>
    <li>Wikipedia: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complement_(linguistics)">Complement (linguistics)</a></li>

    <li>Baidu Baike (Chinese): <a href="http://baike.baidu.com/view/146650.htm">补语</a></li>

    <li>Blog entry (Chinese): <a href="http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_610d94db0100hj5u.html">状态补语</a></li>
  </ul>
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