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?

After this reading

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.