About This Lesson
Use Basic Understanding and Knowledge to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
我现在明白了。
wǒ xiànzài míngbai le I understand now.
B
我不明白。
wǒ bù míngbai I do not understand.
A
我不知道。
wǒ bù zhīdào I do not know.
B
你是什么意思？
nǐ shì shénme yìsi ma What do you mean?
A
你明白我的意思吗？
nǐ míngbai wǒ de yìsi ma Do you understand me?
B
你认识他吗？
nǐ rènshi tā ma Do you know him?Word by Word
我
我 means “I” or “me.” It is the subject in 我现在明白了, 我不明白, and 我不知道, and it appears before 的 in 我的意思 to mean “my meaning” or “what I mean.” A common reuse pattern is 我 + verb or adjective.
现在
现在 means “now” in 我现在明白了. It places the understanding at the present time and comes before 明白 in this sentence. A common reuse pattern is 现在 + verb or adjective.
明白
明白 means “understand” or “be clear” in 我现在明白了 and 我不明白. In 明白我的意思, it means understanding what someone means. A common reuse pattern is 明白 + the thing or message understood.
了
In 我现在明白了, 了 shows a changed state: the speaker understands now. It comes at the end of the clause in this dialogue. A common use is after a clause when a new situation or state has begun.
不
不 means “not” in 不明白 and 不知道. It comes directly before the word it negates, so 不明白 means “not understand” and 不知道 means “not know.” A common reuse pattern is 不 + verb or adjective.
知道
知道 means “know” in 我不知道. Here, 不知道 means that the speaker does not know the information. A common reuse pattern is 知道 + the information or fact known.
你
你 means “you.” It is the subject in 你是什么意思, 你明白我的意思吗, and 你认识他吗. A common reuse pattern is 你 + verb when asking about the other person’s action or knowledge.
是
In 你是什么意思？, 是 helps form the question pattern 你是什么意思？, which asks “What do you mean?” The reusable pattern X 是什么意思？ asks what X means.
什么
什么 means “what” in 你是什么意思？. Together with 意思 in 是什么意思, it asks about the meaning of something rather than identifying a person. A common reuse pattern is 什么 + noun when asking what something is.
意思
意思 means “meaning” in 是什么意思 and 我的意思. In 你是什么意思？, the whole question asks what someone means; in 我的意思, it refers to what the speaker means. A common reuse pattern is X 的意思 for “the meaning of X.”
的
In 我的意思, 的 links 我 with 意思 and makes the phrase mean “my meaning” or “what I mean.” It marks the relationship between the person and the thing connected to them. A common reuse pattern is pronoun or noun + 的 + noun.
吗
吗 is placed at the end of 你明白我的意思吗？ and 你认识他吗？ to make them yes-or-no questions. It signals that the speaker is asking whether the listener understands or knows someone. A common reuse pattern is a statement or question clause + 吗.
认识
认识 means “know” or “be acquainted with” in 认识他. Here it asks whether the listener knows the person referred to by 他. A common reuse pattern is 认识 + a person.
他
他 means “him” in 认识他. It is the person who is known in this question and comes after 认识. A common reuse pattern is a verb + 他 when he is the object of the action.
Grammar Points
不 + 动词
我不明白。
wǒ bù míngbaiI don't understand.
不 comes before the verb to negate it. It does not change form for different subjects.
什么放在句中对应位置
你知道什么？
nǐ zhīdào shénmeWhat do you know?
In Chinese, question words such as 什么 stay where the answer would normally appear, rather than moving to the front.
Chinese Vocabulary
不
adv
bù
not
明白
verb
míngbai
to understand
你
pron
nǐ
you
认识
verb
rènshi
to know; to be acquainted with
什么
pron
shénme
what
是
verb
shì
to be
他
pron
tā
he; him
我
pron
wǒ
I; me
现在
adv
xiànzài
now
意思
noun
yìsi
meaning; intention
知道
verb
zhīdào
to know
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
what
Show Answer
什么to know
Show Answer
知道meaning; intention
Show Answer
意思to know; to be acquainted with