Meaning of 懂得
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to understand; to know; to comprehend
How to use 懂得
懂得 is often used for understanding a principle, a skill, or how to behave, not just catching what someone said. It is common before a verb or a noun like 道理 (dàolǐ). Example: 他很懂得照顾别人。(Tā hěn dǒngde zhàogù biérén.) He really knows how to look after others.
懂 (dǒng) has the heart radical 忄 on the left, so understanding comes from the heart and mind. Add 得 (de), which here marks having gained something, and 懂得 means you have truly come to understand.
Common mistake: Learners often read 得 here as dé with a full second tone, but in 懂得 it is usually light and neutral: dǒngde. Also, 懂得 is not a resultative like 听得懂 (tīng de dǒng), so do not say 懂得了你的话 when you just mean you caught someone's words. Use 听懂了 (tīngdǒng le) for that.
懂得 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
懂 dǒng · to understand · 15 strokes
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得 dé · to obtain · 11 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 懂得.
| 觉得 | juéde | to think that ...; to feel that ...; to feel (uncomfortable etc) |
| 得到 | dédào | to get; to obtain; to receive |
| 记得 | jìde | to remember |
| 取得 | qǔdé | to acquire; to get; to obtain |
| 得出 | déchū | to obtain (a result); to arrive at (a conclusion) |
| 不得不 | bùdébù | have no choice or option but to; cannot but |
| 值得 | zhídé | worth the money; to merit; to deserve; to be worth (doing sth) |
| 认得 | rènde | to recognize; to remember sth (or sb) on seeing it |
| 显得 | xiǎnde | to seem; to look |
| 得分 | défēn | to score a point (in a competition, test etc); score; rating; grade |
| 获得 | huòdé | to obtain; to receive; to get |
| 赢得 | yíngdé | to win; to gain |
Questions about 懂得
What does 懂得 mean?
懂得 (dǒngde) means "to understand; to know; to comprehend" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 懂得?
懂得 is made of 2 characters: 懂 (15 strokes), 得 (11 strokes). That is 26 strokes in total.
Is 懂得 an HSK word?
Yes. 懂得 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 懂 and 懂得?
懂 is shorter and very common in speech, as in 我不懂 (wǒ bù dǒng), I don't understand. 懂得 sounds a bit fuller and fits deeper understanding or knowing how to do something, such as 懂得感恩 (dǒngde gǎn'ēn), to know how to be grateful.
How is 懂得 different from 知道?
知道 (zhīdào) means to know a fact or piece of information. 懂得 means to grasp the meaning or reason behind something. You 知道 his name, but you 懂得 why he acted that way.