Correct
懂 vs 了解 vs 明白
/ dǒng vs liǎojiě vs míngbai /
Strokes
Formula
1
懂 + Something
2
明白 + Something
3
了解 + Something or Someone
Definition
懂 as a Verb, 了解 as a Verb, and 明白 as a Verb or an Adjective, which all means “to understand; to comprehend”.
Example
The Verbs 懂, 了解, and 明白 all mean "to understand".
1
Nǐ
你
dǒng
懂
(
liǎojiě
了解
)
(
míngbai
明白
)
tā
她
huà
话
lǐ
里
de
的
yìsi
意思
ma
吗
?
Do you understand the underlying meaning in her words?
2
Wǒ
我
liǎojiě
了解
(
dǒng
懂
)
(
míngbai
明白
)
nǐ
你
de
的
xīwàng
希望
hé
和
yāoqiú
要求
。
I understand your hope and requests.
懂 (Verb) means "thoroughly understand", and the Object can be language, technology, etc; while 了解 and 明白 have no such meanings.
3
Tā
她
dǒng
懂
yīngyǔ
英语
。
She can speak English.
4
Zhè
这
wèi
位
xiānsheng
先生
dǒng
懂
zhè
这
mén
门
jìshù
技术
。
The man is good at the technology.
懂 (Verb) means "to understand", the Object of which is something, and cannot be a person.
One cannot say 她懂小王。 (NOK)
5
Tā
她
dǒng
懂
zhège
这个
dàoli
道理
。
She knows it.
6
Tā
她
dǒng
懂
xiǎowáng
小王
de
的
yìsi
意思
。
She understood what Xiao Wang meant.
了解 (Verb) means "to know clearly"; while 明白 and 懂 have no such meanings.
7
Wǒmen
我们
shì
是
tóngbāntóngxué
同班同学
,
wǒ
我
hěn
很
liǎojiě
了解
tā
他
。
I know him well for we are classmates.
8
Duì
对
zhè
这
jiàn
件
shì
事
wǒ
我
zhī
只
zhīdào
知道
yībùfen
一部分
,
zhěnggè
整个
qíngkuàng
情况
bìng
并
bù
不
liǎojiě
了解
。
I only know some of the matter.
9
Yīnggāi
应该
ràng
让
dàjiā
大家
liǎojiě
了解
shìqing
事情
de
的
zhēnxiàng
真相
。
The fact should be exposed to all.
了解 (Verb) means "to know sth. through inquiry"; while 明白 and 懂 have no such meanings.
10
Tā
他
xiàng
向
wǒ
我
liǎojiě
了解
xiǎozhào
小赵
de
的
wéirén
为人
。
He inquired me about Xiao Zhao.
11
Wǒ
我
xiān
先
de
得
qù
去
liǎojiě
了解
qíngkuàng
情况
cái
才
néng
能
fābiǎo
发表
yìjiàn
意见
。
First I should get an idea of it and then I will have a right to say.
12
Nǐ
你
qù
去
liǎojiě
了解
liǎojiě
了解
tā
他
zài
在
gōngzuò
工作
zhōng
中
yǒu
有
shénme
什么
kùnnan
困难
。
Please come to know what difficulty he is confronted with in his work.
明白 (Verb) means "to understand, know reason, purpose, hows and whys, etc."; and 了解 or 懂 have the same meanings.
Like 懂, the Object of 明白 cannot be a person, but the Object of 了解 can be a person.
懂 + Something
明白 + Something
了解 + Something or Someone
13
Xuésheng
学生
men
们
dōu
都
míngbai
明白
(
liǎojiě
了解
)
zhèyàng
这样
zuò
做
shì
是
bùduì
不对
de
的
。
All the students understand t is not right to do so.
14
Tā
他
jiǎng
讲
le
了
bàntiān
半天
wǒ
我
cái
才
míngbai
明白
(
liǎojiě
了解
)
。
I did not understand it until he explained it for me for a long time.
15
Nǐ
你
xiànzài
现在
míngbai
明白
(
liǎojiě
了解
)
tā
他
de
的
mùdì
目的
le
了
bā
吧
!
Now you will be able to understand his purpose.
明白 (Adjective) means "clear, definite, easy to be understood"; while 懂 or 了解 cannot.
16
Tā
他
jiǎng
讲
de
得
fēicháng
非常
míngbai
明白
。
He made it very clear.
17
Tā
她
huà
话
lǐ
里
de
的
yìsi
意思
yǐjīng
已经
hěn
很
míngbai
明白
le
了
。
The underlying meaning of her words is very clear.
懂 or 明白 can be used as the Complement of Result; while 了解 cannot.
18
Zhè
这
cháng
场
jīng
京
xì
戏
nǐ
你
kàndǒng
看懂
(
míngbai
明白
)
le
了
ma
吗
?
Do you understand the Bejig Opera?
19
Tā
他
tīng
听
bù
不
dǒng
懂
(
míngbai
明白
)
nǐ
你
de
的
huà
话
。
He doesn't understand your words.
了解 can be used as the Subject or Obejct of a sentence; while 明白 or 懂 cannot.
20
Tā
他
duì
对
zhège
这个
dìfāng
地方
de
的
liǎojiě
了解
shí
十
fēn
分
yǒuxiàn
有限
。
He only has a superficial understanding about it.
21
Yìngduì
应对
nàli
那里
de
的
qíngkuàng
情况
jìnxíng
进行
liǎojiě
了解
。
You should konw something there.