看不懂 vs 没看懂: what is the difference?
看不懂 says you are unable to understand it. 没看懂 says you did not understand it this time. 我看不懂中文报纸 is about ability.
| Word | Pinyin | What it does | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 看不懂 | kàn bù dǒng | Says you are unable to understand what you read, because of your level. | 看 + 不 + 懂 |
| 没看懂 | méi kàn dǒng | Says you did not understand it this time, without saying you never can. | 没 + 看懂 |
看不懂 (kàn bù dǒng)
Says you are unable to understand what you read, because of your level.
Structure: 看 + 不 + 懂
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 这本书太难了，我看不懂。 | Zhè běn shū tài nán le, wǒ kàn bù dǒng. | This book is too hard, I cannot understand it. |
| 他的字写得太乱，我看不懂。 | Tā de zì xiě de tài luàn, wǒ kàn bù dǒng. | His handwriting is so messy that I cannot make it out. |
| 这张地图我看不懂。 | Zhè zhāng dì tú wǒ kàn bù dǒng. | I cannot read this map. |
Not: 这个字我没看不懂。 Do not put 没 and 不 together. Say 看不懂 for cannot, or 没看懂 for did not this time.
没看懂 (méi kàn dǒng)
Says you did not understand it this time, without saying you never can.
Structure: 没 + 看懂
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 这封邮件我没看懂，你能解释一下吗？ | Zhè fēng yóu jiàn wǒ méi kàn dǒng, nǐ néng jiě shì yí xià ma? | I did not understand this email, can you explain it? |
| 他的意思我没看懂。 | Tā de yì si wǒ méi kàn dǒng. | I did not get what he meant. |
| 这个电影我没看懂。 | Zhè ge diàn yǐng wǒ méi kàn dǒng. | I did not understand this film. |
Not: 我没看得懂这封邮件。 没 pairs with 看懂, not 看得懂: 我没看懂这封邮件。
Where this comes from
The comparison is part of Potential complements: V得/不C (HSK 4) in the grammar reference, which has the full explanation, more worked examples, and what to learn before and after it.
More pairs: 按照 vs 根据 · 不敢 vs 不能 · 及时 vs 立刻 · 记住 vs 记得 · 渐渐 vs 逐渐 · 将近 vs 大约 · 竟然 vs 居然 · 既然 vs 因为 · 了 vs 过 · 连…都 vs 连…也 · 没有 vs 不如 · 却 vs 但是 · all 81 pairs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 看不懂 and 没看懂?
看不懂 says you are unable to understand it. 没看懂 says you did not understand it this time. 我看不懂中文报纸 is about ability.
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