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Verb + 懂

HSK 2
  • Complements

Structure (结构 jiégòu)

SubjectVerb懂(Object)

Meaning (意思 yìsi)

Resultative complement 懂 indicates that the action has achieved the result of 'understanding'.

Explanation (解释 jiěshì)

懂 (dǒng) is a resultative complement, placed directly after a verb to indicate that the action has achieved its goal of understanding something.

For example, 听 simply means "to listen," but 听懂 means "to listen and understand." 看 means "to look/read," but 看懂 means "to read/look and understand."

To negate, use 没 (méi) before the verb-complement compound, e.g.: 没听懂 (listened but didn't understand), 没看懂 (read/watched but didn't understand).

Examples (例句 lìjù)(5)

  1. 老师讲的语法我听懂了。
    繁: 老師講的語法我聽懂了。Lǎoshī jiǎng de yǔfǎ wǒ tīng dǒng le.

    I understood the grammar that the teacher explained.

  2. 你看懂这本书了吗？
    繁: 你看懂這本書了嗎？Nǐ kàn dǒng zhè běn shū le ma?

    Have you understood this book?

  3. 他说得太快，我没听懂。
    繁: 他說得太快，我沒聽懂。Tā shuō de tài kuài, wǒ méi tīng dǒng.

    He spoke too quickly, and I didn't understand.

  4. 这部电影我没看懂。
    繁: 這部電影我沒看懂。Zhè bù diànyǐng wǒ méi kàn dǒng.

    I didn't understand this movie.

  5. 他的意思你听懂了没有？
    繁: 他的意思你聽懂了沒有？Tā de yìsi nǐ tīng dǒng le méiyǒu?

    Did you understand what he meant?

Common mistakes

  • Wrong:我昨天不懂老师的话。
    Correct:我昨天没听懂老师的话。

    不懂 is a general state. To express a specific instance of not understanding when listening in the past, use 没听懂.

  • Wrong:我听老师的话懂了。
    Correct:我听懂老师的话了。

    The resultative complement `懂` must immediately follow the verb and cannot have the object inserted between them.