我听不懂
How to say “I don’t understand” in Chinese
Name: ________________ Date: ________
别人说话很快，你听不懂，能说什么？
你能说：“我听不懂。”还能说：“请说慢一点儿。”
看书看不懂，就说“我看不懂”。
安娜在北京吃饭。这是她第一次来中国。服务员说话很快，她一个字也没听懂。
安娜说：“对不起，我听不懂。”
服务员很大声地说，还是很快。
安娜也大声说：“请说慢一点儿！”
他笑了。他一个字一个字地说：“你，想，吃，什么？”
这次安娜听懂了！她看了看菜单，看不懂。
她看了看旁边的男人，说：“我要和他一样的。”
旁边的男人对她说：“我也听不懂。”“我也说了‘我要和他一样的’。”他看了看那边的一个男人。
他们两个人都笑了。
Key words
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 说话 | shuōhuà | to speak; to talk |
| 能 | néng | can; to be able to |
| 说 | shuō | to speak; to say |
| 请 | qǐng | please |
| 来 | lái | to come |
| 中国 | zhōngguó | China |
| 字 | zì | character; written word |
| 很 | hěn | very; quite |
| 吃 | chī | to eat |
| 看 | kàn | to look at; to see; to watch |
| 那边 | nàbiān | over there; that side |
| 人 | rén | person; people |
English (for the teacher)
When someone talks fast and you can’t follow, what can you say?
You can say, “I don’t understand” (我听不懂). You can also say, “Please speak a little slower.”
If it’s something you’re reading, say 我看不懂.
Anna is eating out in Beijing. It’s her first time in China. The waiter talks very fast. She doesn’t catch a single word.
Anna says, “Sorry, I don’t understand.”
The waiter says it again, very loudly, and just as fast.
Anna shouts back: “Please speak slower!”
He laughs. He says it one word at a time: “What… do… you… want… to… eat?”
This time Anna understands! She looks at the menu. She can’t read it.
She glances at the man next to her and says, “I’ll have what he’s having.”
The man next to her leans over. “I don’t understand him either.” “I said ‘I’ll have what he’s having’ too.” He glances at a man over at another table.
They both burst out laughing.