Correct

懂 vs 懂得

/ dǒng vs dǒngde /
Strokes

Definition

懂 and 懂得 both are Verb, which means [to understand].

Example

懂 and 懂得 both verbs mean "to understand, to be familiar with". 懂 is used either as the predicate or as a complement. 懂得 can only be the predicate.
1) In examples ① and ②, 懂 is the main predicate;

2) In example ②, 懂 is an object;

3) In examples ③ and ④, 懂 is the complement;

4) 懂得 can replace 懂 in example ①.
1
dǒng
  
(
dǒngde
懂得
  
)
guǎngdōnghuà
广东话
ma
  
?

Can you speak Cantonese?

2
dǒng
háiyào
还要
zhuāng
dǒng
  

He pretends to know his unknown.

3
Zhè
piān
wàiwén
外文
liào
资料
kàndǒng
看懂
le
  

I understood the foreign material.

4
tīng
dǒng
de
huà
  

I cannot understand him.

5
Gēn
jiāodào
打交道
  
,
de
dǒngde
懂得
lüè
策略
  

You should know some strategies when you are in contact with him.

Sometimes the meaning of 懂得 is more abstract than 懂.
6
dǒngde
懂得
zuòrén
做人
de
dàoli
道理
  

He knows how to be a man.