HSK 3 grammar · new HSK syllabus
Can or can’t: 听得懂, 看不见
得 or 不 between a verb and its result says whether it’s possible: 听得懂, 看不见.
Structure
- Verb + 得 + result
- Verb + 不 + result
How it works
Put 得 or 不 between a verb and its result or direction to say whether it can happen: 听得懂 can understand, 听不懂 can’t understand.
The negative form is very common: 看不见 can’t see, 找不到 can’t find, 回不来 can’t come back, 吃不完 can’t finish (eating).
Questions: 你听得懂吗？ or 你听得懂听不懂？
Examples
-
老师说得太快，我听不懂。
Lǎoshī shuō de tài kuài, wǒ tīng bù dǒng.
The teacher talks too fast. I can’t understand.
-
你听得懂他说的话吗？
Nǐ tīng de dǒng tā shuō dehuà ma?
Can you understand what he says?
-
字太小了，我看不清楚。
Zì tài xiǎo le, wǒ kàn bù qīngchu.
The characters are too small. I can’t see them clearly.
-
菜太多了，我们吃不完。
Cài tài duō le, wǒmen chī bù wán.
There’s too much food. We can’t finish it.
-
我找不到我的护照了。
Wǒ zhǎo bú dào wǒ de hùzhào le.
I can’t find my passport.
Words in these examples (27)
| 老师 | lǎoshī | teacher | HSK 1 |
| 说 | shuō | to say; to speak | HSK 1 |
| 得 | de | (particle after a verb before a description of how it is done, as in 说得很好) | HSK 2 |
| 太 | tài | too; extremely | HSK 1 |
| 快 | kuài | fast; quick; soon | HSK 2 |
| 我 | wǒ | I; me | HSK 1 |
| 听 | tīng | to listen; to hear | HSK 1 |
| 不 | bù | not; no | HSK 1 |
| 懂 | dǒng | to understand | HSK 2 |
| 你 | nǐ | you | HSK 1 |
| 他 | tā | he; him | HSK 1 |
| 的话 | dehuà | (after a clause) if… | HSK 3 |
| 吗 | ma | (question particle for yes/no questions) | HSK 1 |
| 字 | zì | character; word (written) | HSK 1 |
| 小 | xiǎo | small; little; young | HSK 1 |
| 了 | le | (particle marking a completed action or a change) | HSK 1 |
| 看 | kàn | to look; to watch; to read | HSK 1 |
| 清楚 | qīngchu | clear; to understand clearly | HSK 3 |
| 菜 | cài | dish (of food); vegetable | HSK 1 |
| 多 | duō | many; much; (in questions) how | HSK 1 |
| 我们 | wǒmen | we; us | HSK 1 |
| 吃 | chī | to eat | HSK 1 |
| 完 | wán | to finish; to be over | HSK 2 |
| 找 | zhǎo | to look for; to find | HSK 1 |
| 到 | dào | to arrive; to go to | HSK 1 |
| 的 | de | (particle linking a describer to a noun, like "'s") | HSK 1 |
| 护照 | hùzhào | passport | HSK 3 |
Common mistakes
-
✗我不能听懂。
✓我听不懂。
For “can’t understand”, use the potential form.
-
✗我听懂不。
✓我听不懂。
不 goes between the verb and the result.
Check yourself
Choose the word that fills the gap.
1. 他说的话我听 懂。
2. 太远了，我看 。
3. 这么多作业，你今天做得 吗？