Everyday essentials
How to say I don't understand in Chinese
我听不懂
wǒ tīng bu dǒng
Literally: I · listen · not · understand
我听不懂 (wǒ tīng bu dǒng) is “I don’t understand” what I’m hearing — literally “I listen but can’t understand.” The 不 sits neutral inside the potential form: tīng bu dǒng.
Other ways to say it
- 我不明白
wǒ bù míngbai
I don’t get it
For not grasping the meaning or logic, rather than not catching the sounds.
- 我不懂
wǒ bù dǒng
I don’t understand
A shorter, blunter “I don’t understand.”
- 请再说一遍
qǐng zài shuō yí biàn
please say it again
The essential follow-up — “please repeat that once more.”
In a sentence
对不起，我听不懂。
Duìbuqǐ, wǒ tīng bu dǒng.
Sorry, I don’t understand.
How do you say "I don't understand" in Chinese?
To say “I don’t understand” in Chinese, say 我听不懂 (wǒ tīng bu dǒng) when you can’t catch what’s said, or 我不明白 (wǒ bù míngbai) when you don’t grasp the meaning.
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