How to Say ‘Do you understand?’ in Simplified Chinese
你懂不懂？
nǐ dǒng bù dǒng
[nǐ dǒng bù dǒng]
💬 Usage Tip: 懂不懂 is a common yes-no question pattern: verb + 不 + same verb. You can build many questions this way, like 去不去？ or 是不是？
🇨🇳 In China: 你懂不懂？ can sound challenging or impatient depending on tone, especially from a teacher, boss, or annoyed speaker. If you want a neutral question, 你听懂了吗？ or 你明白吗？ is often softer.
Phrase Breakdown
你
nǐ
[nǐ]
you
Refers to the person being addressed.
你去哪里？
Where are you going?
懂
dǒng
[dǒng]
understand
To grasp the meaning of something.
我懂你的意思。
I understand what you mean.
不懂
bù dǒng
do not understand
A negation of understanding.
她不懂德语。
She doesn't understand German.
Words in this phrase
不
bù
[bù]
not
Used to negate a verb.
他不喜欢喝茶。
He doesn't like to drink tea.
懂
dǒng
[dǒng]
understand
To grasp the meaning of something.
我懂你的意思。
I understand what you mean.
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