我听不懂 Saying You Don't Understand in Chinese

今天jīntiān，我wǒ在zài中国Zhōngguó，我wǒ看见kànjiàn一yí个gè人rén。

Today, I'm in China, and I see a person.

那nà个gè人rén说shuō汉语hànyǔ，我wǒ听不懂tīng bu dǒng。

That person speaks Chinese, but I can't understand him.

我wǒ说shuō：“对不起duìbuqǐ，我wǒ不会bú huì说shuō汉语hànyǔ。”

I say, "Sorry, I can't speak Chinese."

我wǒ说shuō：“我wǒ是shì学生xuésheng，我wǒ学习xuéxí汉语hànyǔ。”

I say, "I'm a student, and I'm learning Chinese."

那nà个gè人rén说shuō：“没关系méi guānxi，请qǐng说shuō。你nǐ叫jiào什么shénme名字míngzi？”

That person says, "It's okay, go ahead and speak. What's your name?"

我wǒ说shuō我wǒ的de名字míngzi，那个nàge人rén说shuō：“你nǐ的de汉语Hànyǔ很hěn好hǎo。”

I tell him my name, and he says, "Your Chinese is good."

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

听不懂tīng bu dǒngcan't understand (by listening)

汉语hànyǔChinese language

学生xuéshengstudent

学习xuéxíto study; to learn

请qǐngplease

名字míngziname

听不懂 — can't understand (by listening)

听不懂 literally means "listen-not-understand": you hear the words but the meaning doesn't get through. 懂 means "to understand."

我听不懂。 — I don't understand (what I'm hearing).

我不会说汉语 — saying what you can't do

不会 + verb means you don't know how to do something. 我不会说汉语 = I can't speak Chinese.

我不会说汉语。 — I can't speak Chinese.

请 + verb — polite requests

请 before a verb makes a request more polite, like "please" in English: 请说 = please speak/go ahead.

没关系，请说。 — It's okay, please go ahead and speak.

1. What does the narrator have trouble doing?

2. What does the narrator say he is?

3. How does the story end?