Small phrases rescue big conversations. Two of the most useful in Traditional Mandarin are 我不知道 (Wǒ bù zhīdào) and 我不懂 (Wǒ bù dǒng). One says the information isn’t there; the other says the meaning isn’t there. Learn when to use each, add polite softenings, and switch to precise variants like 我聽不懂 (Wǒ tīng bù dǒng) or 我看不懂 (Wǒ kàn bù dǒng) when hearing or reading is the problem. The result is clear, respectful communication that keeps the talk moving instead of grinding to a halt.
Core Meanings That Keep Conversations Clear
我不知道。
Wǒ bù zhīdào.
I don’t know.
（Use when you don’t have the information or the answer.）
我不懂。
Wǒ bù dǒng.
I don’t understand.
（Use when you heard or read something but don’t grasp the meaning.）
A clean way to remember: 不知道 targets facts; 不懂 targets understanding.
Targeted Variants That Sound Natural
我聽不懂。
Wǒ tīng bù dǒng.
I don’t understand what I’m hearing.
我看不懂。
Wǒ kàn bù dǒng.
I don’t understand what I’m reading/seeing.
我不太明白。
Wǒ bù tài míngbái.
I don’t quite get it.
我不太清楚。
Wǒ bù tài qīngchǔ.
I’m not quite sure / It’s not clear to me.
我不確定。
Wǒ bù quèdìng.
I’m not certain.
我不太熟。
Wǒ bù tài shóu.
I’m not very familiar with it.
These choices gently adjust the message from “no idea” to “some idea, not enough,” which is often exactly right in real life.
Polite Softeners And Helpful Follow-Ups
不好意思…
Bù hǎoyìsi…
Sorry / Excuse me…
可以再說一次嗎？
Kěyǐ zài shuō yí cì ma?
Could you say that again?
可以講慢一點嗎？
Kěyǐ jiǎng màn yìdiǎn ma?
Could you speak a bit slower?
可以換個說法嗎？
Kěyǐ huàn ge shuōfǎ ma?
Could you phrase it another way?
方便給個例子嗎？
Fāngbiàn gěi ge lìzi ma?
Could you give an example?
These soften the refusal and invite cooperation, turning a dead end into a next step.
Mini Dialogues In Everyday Settings
課堂情境
A：這一段的重點是什麼？
A: Zhè yí duàn de zhòngdiǎn shì shénme?
What’s the main point of this section?
B：我不太明白，可以再解釋一次嗎？
B: Wǒ bù tài míngbái, kěyǐ zài jiěshì yí cì ma?
I don’t quite get it—could you explain once more?
餐廳點餐
A：要不要加香菜？
A: Yào bù yào jiā xiāngcài?
Do you want cilantro?
B：不好意思，我聽不懂「香菜」是什麼。
B: Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ tīng bù dǒng “xiāngcài” shì shénme.
Sorry, I don’t understand what “xiāngcài” is.
A：就是香草的一種，很多人不喜歡。
A: Jiùshì xiāngcǎo de yì zhǒng, hěn duō rén bù xǐhuān.
It’s a herb—many people don’t like it.
工作會議
A：這份報表你看懂了嗎？
A: Zhè fèn bàobiǎo nǐ kàn dǒng le ma?
Did you understand this report?
B：我看不懂趨勢圖，方便講一下嗎？
B: Wǒ kàn bù dǒng qūshì tú, fāngbiàn jiǎng yíxià ma?
I don’t understand the trend chart—could you walk me through it?
問路與交通
A：到松山車站要在哪裡轉車？
A: Dào Sōngshān chēzhàn yào zài nǎlǐ zhuǎn chē?
Where do I transfer to get to Songshan Station?
B：我不太清楚，你可以問服務台。
B: Wǒ bù tài qīngchǔ, nǐ kěyǐ wèn fúwùtái.
I’m not quite sure—you can ask the service desk.
醫療與安全
A：醫生剛說的用藥方式，你聽懂了嗎？
A: Yīshēng gāng shuō de yòngyào fāngshì, nǐ tīng dǒng le ma?
Did you understand the doctor’s instructions?
B：我不太明白，可以寫下來嗎？
B: Wǒ bù tài míngbái, kěyǐ xiě xiàlái ma?
I don’t quite understand—could you write it down?
Texts, Chats, And Emails That Don’t Sound Abrupt
我不確定這項資料的來源，稍後再回覆你。
Wǒ bù quèdìng zhè xiàng zīliào de láiyuán, shāohòu zài huífù nǐ.
I’m not certain about the source of this info; I’ll get back to you shortly.
我不太清楚目前的進度，幫我確認一下可以嗎？
Wǒ bù tài qīngchǔ mùqián de jìndù, bāng wǒ quèrèn yíxià kěyǐ ma?
I’m not quite sure about the current progress—could you help me confirm?
我看不懂這段說明，能附個例子嗎？
Wǒ kàn bù dǒng zhè duàn shuōmíng, néng fù ge lìzi ma?
I don’t understand this explanation—could you attach an example?
Grammar And Pattern Notes
1）不懂 vs 懂了
不懂（bù dǒng）否定理解；懂了（dǒng le）表示「現在懂了」。
例：剛開始我不懂，現在懂了。
Lì: Gāng kāishǐ wǒ bù dǒng, xiànzài dǒng le.
Example: I didn’t understand at first; now I do.
2）聽不懂／看不懂 的「不」
聽不懂、看不懂是可能補語結構，表示「無法達到理解」。
例：講太快，我聽不懂。
Lì: Jiǎng tài kuài, wǒ tīng bù dǒng.
They spoke too fast; I couldn’t understand.
3）不太＋形容詞
不太清楚／不太明白降低語氣，聽起來更禮貌。
例：這個部分我不太清楚。
Lì: Zhège bùfèn wǒ bù tài qīngchǔ.
I’m not quite clear on this part.
Pronunciation And Tone Tips
不知道（bù zhīdào）
把「不」讀第四聲，乾脆俐落；「知」保持清晰的 zh 音；「道」收尾不要拖長。
bù zhī dào → crisp, not bù zhī dào-o-o
不懂（bù dǒng）
「懂」收鼻音 ng，避免變成「dǒngguh」。短而準。
dǒng → close cleanly with -ng
聽不懂（tīng bù dǒng）
「聽」一聲長音拉直；中間的「不」保持第四聲；最後落在「懂」。
tīng bù dǒng → 1-4-3 rhythm
看不懂（kàn bù dǒng）
「看」第四聲明確下降；後面節奏輕快，避免整串模糊。
kàn bù dǒng → 4-4-3 clean steps
Common Mistakes And Easy Fixes
把我不知道用在「沒聽清楚」
錯：他說什麼？我不知道。
對：他說什麼？我聽不懂／我沒聽清楚。
Cuò: Tā shuō shénme? Wǒ bù zhīdào.
Duì: Tā shuō shénme? Wǒ tīng bù dǒng / Wǒ méi tīng qīngchǔ.
把我不懂用在「缺少資訊」
錯：活動幾點開始？我不懂。
對：活動幾點開始？我不知道。
Cuò: Huódòng jǐ diǎn kāishǐ? Wǒ bù dǒng.
Duì: Huódòng jǐ diǎn kāishǐ? Wǒ bù zhīdào.
過度直接而少了禮貌
錯：我不懂。
對：不好意思，我不太明白，可以再說一次嗎？
Cuò: Wǒ bù dǒng.
Duì: Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ bù tài míngbái, kěyǐ zài shuō yí cì ma?
Practice Drills（Copy-Ready）
聽力救場
不好意思，我聽不懂，可以講慢一點嗎？
Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ tīng bù dǒng, kěyǐ jiǎng màn yìdiǎn ma?
Sorry, I didn’t catch that—could you speak a bit slower?
閱讀拆解
這段我看不懂，可以換個說法嗎？
Zhè duàn wǒ kàn bù dǒng, kěyǐ huàn ge shuōfǎ ma?
I don’t understand this part—could you rephrase it?
資訊不在手
我不知道正確時間，我幫你問一下。
Wǒ bù zhīdào zhèngquè shíjiān, wǒ bāng nǐ wèn yíxià.
I don’t know the exact time; I’ll ask for you.
禮貌降階
我不太清楚細節，稍後再回覆您。
Wǒ bù tài qīngchǔ xìjié, shāohòu zài huífù nín.
I’m not clear on the details; I’ll get back to you.
Quick Reference Table
| Purpose | Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | Natural Use |
| Don’t know (no info) | 我不知道 | Wǒ bù zhīdào | Missing facts |
| Don’t understand (meaning) | 我不懂 | Wǒ bù dǒng | Concept unclear |
| Don’t understand (heard) | 我聽不懂 | Wǒ tīng bù dǒng | Speech too fast / unclear |
| Don’t understand (read/seen) | 我看不懂 | Wǒ kàn bù dǒng | Text/diagram unclear |
| Not quite sure | 我不太清楚 | Wǒ bù tài qīngchǔ | Gentle uncertainty |
| Not quite understand | 我不太明白 | Wǒ bù tài míngbái | Softer “don’t get it” |
| Not certain | 我不確定 | Wǒ bù quèdìng | Formal/careful tone |
| Not familiar | 我不太熟 | Wǒ bù tài shóu | Low familiarity |
Flip The Right Switch, Keep The Talk Alive
我不知道 (wǒ bù zhīdào) covers missing facts; 我不懂 (wǒ bù dǒng) covers missing understanding. Precision upgrades—我聽不懂 (wǒ tīng bù dǒng) for speech and 我看不懂 (wǒ kàn bù dǒng) for text—pinpoint the problem so conversations can move. Polite buffers like 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi), 可以再說一次嗎 (kěyǐ zài shuō yí cì ma), and 可以講慢一點嗎 (kěyǐ jiǎng màn yìdiǎn ma) turn a stall into progress. Small phrases, clear aims, smoother talks.