How to Say “I do not understand” in Chinese
Feelings and opinions · HSK 1
"I do not understand" in Chinese is 我不懂 (wǒ bù dǒng). 我不懂 (wǒ bù dǒng) declares general incomprehension. For "I cannot hear / understand spoken" specifically, 听不懂 (tīng bù dǒng) is more accurate.
Primary translation
我不懂
wǒ bù dǒng
Variants by register
Casual
听不懂
tīng bù dǒng
When to use it
我不懂 (wǒ bù dǒng) declares general incomprehension. For "I cannot hear / understand spoken" specifically, 听不懂 (tīng bù dǒng) is more accurate. 看不懂 (kàn bù dǒng) is "I cannot understand what I read". Ask the speaker to slow down with 请说慢一点 (qǐng shuō màn yì diǎn). To request a different word use 换个说法 (use a different way of saying it). Never be embarrassed; most Chinese speakers appreciate a learner asking.
Example sentences
对不起，我不懂。
Duìbuqǐ, wǒ bù dǒng.
Sorry, I do not understand.
请说慢一点。
Qǐng shuō màn yì diǎn.
Please speak more slowly.
这个字怎么读？
Zhège zì zěnme dú?
How do you read this character?