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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/zh-ting-bu-dong

What does wǒ tīng bù dǒng (我听不懂) mean in Mandarin?

It means I don't understand what you are saying.

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  1. Please speak slowly
  2. I don't understand ✔
  3. I can't find it

Why: Wǒ (我) means I, tīng (听) means listen, bù (不) negates, and dǒng (懂) means understand. Use it when spoken Mandarin is too fast or advanced.

Huh, didn't know that: Ask qǐng shuō màn yìdiǎn (请说慢一点) for please speak a little slower. Màn (慢) means slow.

The dad joke
I said wǒ tīng bù dǒng so many times that the parrot at my hotel learned it.
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References

Answer: I don't understand. Wǒ (我) means I, tīng (听) means listen, bù (不) negates, and dǒng (懂) means understand. Use it when spoken Mandarin is too fast or advanced.

  1. MDBG Chinese-English Dictionary: 听不懂 www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdrst=0&wdqb=%E5%90%AC%E4%B8%8D%E6%87%82
    unable to make sense of what one is hearing
    Checked 2026-10-12.
  2. MDBG Chinese-English Dictionary: 慢 www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdrst=0&wdqb=%E6%85%A2
    slow
    Checked 2026-10-12.

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