HSK 2 · Article · 199 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-say-i-dont-understand-in-chinese

我听不懂

How to say “I don’t understand” in Chinese

Name: ________________ Date: ________

别人biéren说话shuōhuà很hěn快kuài，你nǐ听不懂tīngbudǒng，能néng说shuō什么shénme？

你nǐ能néng说shuō：“我wǒ听不懂tīngbudǒng。”还hái能néng说shuō：“请qǐng说shuō慢màn一点儿yìdiǎnr。”

看书kànshū看不懂kànbudǒng，就jiù说shuō“我wǒ看不懂kànbudǒng”。

安娜ānnà在zài北京běijīng吃饭chīfàn。这zhè是shì她tā第一次dìyīcì来lái中国zhōngguó。服务员fúwùyuán说话shuōhuà很hěn快kuài，她tā一yí个gè字zì也yě没méi听懂tīngdǒng。

安娜ānnà说shuō：“对不起duìbuqǐ，我wǒ听不懂tīngbudǒng。”

服务员fúwùyuán很hěn大声dàshēng地de说shuō，还是háishi很hěn快kuài。

安娜ānnà也yě大声dàshēng说shuō：“请qǐng说shuō慢màn一点儿yìdiǎnr！”

他tā笑xiào了le。他tā一yí个gè字zì一yí个gè字zì地de说shuō：“你nǐ，想xiǎng，吃chī，什么shénme？”

这次zhècì安娜ānnà听懂tīngdǒng了le！她tā看kàn了le看kàn菜单càidān，看不懂kànbudǒng。

她tā看kàn了le看kàn旁边pángbiān的de男人nánrén，说shuō：“我wǒ要yào和hé他tā一样yíyàng的。”

旁边pángbiān的de男人nánrén对duì她tā说shuō：“我wǒ也yě听不懂tīngbudǒng。”“我wǒ也yě说shuō了le‘我wǒ要yào和hé他tā一样yíyàng的de’。”他tā看kàn了le看kàn那边nàbiān的de一yí个gè男人nánrén。

他们tāmen两liǎng个gè人rén都dōu笑xiào了le。

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
说话shuōhuàto speak; to talk
能néngcan; to be able to
说shuōto speak; to say
请qǐngplease
来láito come
中国zhōngguóChina
字zìcharacter; written word
很hěnvery; quite
吃chīto eat
看kànto look at; to see; to watch
那边nàbiānover there; that side
人rénperson; 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.