Chinese word

看不懂

Pronunciation

Pinyinkàn bù dǒng

Meaning

  • verbcan't understand

Example

我看不懂这本书。wǒ kàn bù dǒng zhè běn shū

I can't understand this book.

Illustration for 看不懂 (can't understand)

More examples

刚开始学中文，很多句子我看不懂。gāng kāi shǐ xué zhōng wén hěn duō jù zi wǒ kàn bù dǒng

I just started learning Chinese, so I can't understand many sentences.

Core concept

A page, sign, or diagram is visible, yet its message remains out of reach.

Common phrases

  • 看不懂这个词kàn bù dǒng zhè ge cí

    can't understand this word

  • 看不懂中文kàn bù dǒng zhōng wén

    can't understand Chinese

Similar words

读不懂dú bù dǒng: Unable to understand written words or sentences after reading them.
听不懂tīng bù dǒng: Unable to understand spoken words or a spoken message after listening.
看不明白kàn bù míng bái: Unable to make sense of the content or connections in something being viewed.
理解不了lí jiě bù liǎo: Unable to understand an explanation, piece of information, or other material.

Definition in Chinese

看到文字、句子或图表等内容，但无法理解其中的意思。kàn dào wén zì jù zi huò tú biǎo děng nèi róng dàn wú fǎ lí jiě qí zhōng de yì si

Word origin

看 (kàn, "look or read") + 不 (bù, "not") + 懂 (dǒng, "understand") uses 不 before the result word 懂 to show that looking or reading does not produce understanding.

Usage tips

  • English "I can't read it" can suggest trouble seeing or decoding letters, while this phrase focuses on failing to grasp the content even when the words are visible.

Other meanings

  • can't readverb

Opposites

  • 看得懂kàn de dǒngcan understandverb

Word lists with this word