bat1 dung2不懂
Jyutpingbat1 dung2
Yalebāt dúng
Definition
To not understand, know, or comprehend.
colloquialdaily actionscommunication
How it's used
Cantonese speakers almost exclusively use 識 to express knowing how to do something or being familiar with a subject. While the written form 不懂 exists, it is strictly reserved for formal writing or literary contexts and sounds unnatural in speech. Using 識 covers both the ability to perform a skill and the general knowledge of a topic.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often try to use 不懂 in conversation because it matches Mandarin, but this makes speech sound stiff or overly formal. Always use 識 for 'to know how' or 'to understand' in daily life.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
