(dǒng) - To understand & to know

Tone 3

dǒng | 15 strokes | radical:

· dǒng

To understand;

to know;

to comprehend;

to be familiar with.

To understandto knowto comprehend

Usage highlights

UnderstandUnderstand clearlyKnow how toNot understandFully understandListen and understand

Synonyms

  • 明白to understand clearly
  • 了解to know about, to understand
  • 理解to comprehend, to grasp

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I understand Chinese (我懂中文).
  • Do you understand this principle?(你懂这个道理吗?)
  • He knows a lot about computers (他很懂电脑).
  • Children understand their parents' love (孩子懂父母的爱).

Collocations

  • Understand(懂得)
  • Understand clearly(懂得)
  • Know how to(懂得)
  • Not understand(不懂)
  • Fully understand(读懂)
  • Listen and understand(听懂)

Idioms

  • Understanding and sensible(懂事)
  • Half-understood, half-obscure(似懂非懂)
  • Pretend to understand(不懂装懂)
  • Hard to make people understand(难懂)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character combines heart (忄) and heavy (重), suggesting understanding as a matter of heart and importance.
  • In Chinese culture, being '懂事的' (understanding/sensible) is highly valued, especially in children.
  • The concept emphasizes not just intellectual understanding but emotional comprehension and sensibility.

FAQ