我要值机。
wǒ yào zhíjī
I need to check in for a flight
How to say "I don't understand" in Chinese
我听不懂。
wǒ tīng bù dǒng
I don't understand
Character breakdown
Grammar and structure
The structure is 我 (I) + 听 (listen) + 不 (not) + 懂 (understand). The 不 negates the verb 懂, and the 听 specifies that you don't understand what you hear. It's a fixed pattern for expressing inability to understand spoken language.
Variations and politeness
我听不清
wǒ tīng bù qīng
I can't hear clearly. — Used when the problem is hearing, not understanding.
我不明白
wǒ bù míngbái
I don't understand. — More formal and general; not limited to listening.
听不懂
tīng bù dǒng
Don't understand. — Shorter, without the pronoun 'I'.
Mini dialogue
A
你会说中文吗？
nǐ huì shuō zhōngwén ma?
Do you speak Chinese?
B
我听不懂。
wǒ tīng bù dǒng.
I don't understand.
When to use it
Appropriate
- When you don't understand what someone is saying in Chinese.
- When you need the speaker to repeat or speak more slowly.
- In noisy environments like airports where hearing is difficult.
Avoid when
- When you don't understand a written text; use 我不明白 (wǒ bù míngbái) instead.
- When you want to say you don't know something; use 我不知道 (wǒ bù zhīdào).
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I don't understand' in Chinese?
You say 我听不懂 (wǒ tīng bù dǒng), which literally means 'I listen but don't understand'.
How do you pronounce 我听不懂?
It is pronounced wǒ tīng bù dǒng, with the third tone on wǒ and dǒng, first tone on tīng, and fourth tone on bù.
When do you use 我听不懂?
Use it when you don't understand spoken Chinese, especially if you need the speaker to repeat or slow down.
More phrases for this situation
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