How to say “I don't understand” in Chinese
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Word by word
Tone tip
不 stays bù here because 懂 is a third tone (the bù → bú change only happens before a fourth tone). For not understanding speech specifically, you can say 我听不懂 (wǒ tīng bu dǒng).
In a sentence
对不起，我不懂。
Duìbuqǐ, wǒ bù dǒng.
Sorry, I don't understand.
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do you say "I don't understand" in Chinese?+
"I don't understand" in Mandarin Chinese is 我不懂, pronounced wǒ bù dǒng. 不 stays bù here because 懂 is a third tone (the bù → bú change only happens before a fourth tone). For not understanding speech specifically, you can say 我听不懂 (wǒ tīng bu dǒng).
What does 我不懂 mean literally?+
我不懂 breaks down as 我 (wǒ) = I, 不 (bù) = not, 懂 (dǒng) = to understand. Together it means "I don't understand".
How do I get the tones right in wǒ bù dǒng?+
不 stays bù here because 懂 is a third tone (the bù → bú change only happens before a fourth tone). For not understanding speech specifically, you can say 我听不懂 (wǒ tīng bu dǒng).
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