# How to say I don’t understand in Chinese

URL: https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/i-dont-understand-in-chinese/
Updated: 2026-11-05

I don’t understand in Chinese is 听不懂 (tīng bu dǒng). Add 请慢一点 (qǐng màn yì diǎn, please, a bit slower), and most people will say it again slowly. Together they are the most useful phrase for a beginner.

## The phrase

**听不懂，请慢一点。** (tīng bu dǒng, qǐng màn yì diǎn.): I don’t understand, please slow down.

| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 听不懂 | tīng bu dǒng | can't understand |
| 请 | qǐng | please |
| 慢 | màn | slow |
| 一点 | yì diǎn | a bit |

Pinyin is written the way the words are said, tone changes included, the same as in the game.

### What it means

听不懂 (tīng bu dǒng) means “I don’t understand” what I hear. 听 (tīng) is “listen”, 不 (bù) is “not” and 懂 (dǒng) is “understand”. You heard the words but could not follow them.

请慢一点 (qǐng màn yì diǎn) means “please, a bit slower”. 请 (qǐng) is “please”, 慢 (màn) is “slow” and 一点 (yì diǎn) is “a little”.

Use the two together. The first says there is a problem. The second says what to do about it.

### How to say it

Say tīng bu dǒng, qǐng màn yì diǎn.

- tīng is high and level. bu is short and soft. dǒng dips low.

- qǐng dips. màn falls. yì falls. diǎn dips.

一 (yī, one) is yī on its own. Before a dipping tone it becomes yì.

## When to use it

### A cashier who speaks fast

At a checkout the questions come quickly: heat it or not, bag or not, member card, receipt. Say 听不懂，请慢一点 (tīng bu dǒng, qǐng màn yì diǎn) and the cashier slows down.

### A pharmacy or a hotel desk

When it matters, like how many tablets to take, ask them to say it slowly. Staff are used to it.

### Directions in the street

Directions often come as a list of turns. Ask them to slow down, and point the way you think they mean.

## Other ways to say it

Shorter versions and a friendly one, all from the game.

- **听不懂** (tīng bu dǒng): Don't understand
  - When: On its own it can sound like you want to stop talking. Add 请慢一点 (qǐng màn yì diǎn) if you want to go on.
- **请慢一点** (qǐng màn yì diǎn): Please a bit slower
  - When: Fine on its own if you caught some of it.
- **太快了！请慢一点。** (tài kuài le! qǐng màn yì diǎn.): Too fast! Please a bit slower.
  - When: A friendly, slightly playful version.

## What people say back

- **听不懂，请慢一点。** (tīng bu dǒng, qǐng màn yì diǎn.): I don’t understand, please slow down.
  - When: The convenience store cashier says all her questions at once.
  - They may say: **好的好的，我慢慢说。** (hǎo de hǎo de, wǒ màn man shuō.): OK, OK, I will say it slowly. (Then she says each question again, very slowly.)
- **听不懂，请慢一点。** (tīng bu dǒng, qǐng màn yì diǎn.): I don’t understand, please slow down.
  - When: The same cashier, one question at a time.
  - They may say: **要——不——要——加——热？** (yào—— bu—— yào—— jiā—— rè?): Want — or not — heat? (Answer 要 (yào, yes) or 不要 (bú yào, no).)
- **请慢一点** (qǐng màn yì diǎn): Please a bit slower
  - When: Someone is telling you something important.
  - They may say: **好好，我慢慢说。** (hǎo hǎo, wǒ màn man shuō.): OK, OK, I'll say it slowly.

## Common mistakes

### Saying “I don’t know” instead

不知道 (bù zhī dào) means “I don’t know”. If you did not understand a question, 不知道 (bù zhī dào) sounds like you understood it and have no answer. Say 听不懂 (tīng bu dǒng).

### Nodding along

If you pretend to understand, you may get the wrong order or miss an instruction. Asking once is quicker.

### Asking for English

Many people in shops and at stalls do not speak English. Asking them to slow down in Chinese works more often.

### Giving up when they do not understand you

It happens the other way too. In the game the noodle shop owner answers your first drink order with 什么 (shén me, what)? 再说一遍 (zài shuō yí biàn, say that again). You try a shorter version, 一杯咖啡 (yì bēi kā fēi, a cup of coffee). Shorter usually works.

## Where it comes up in the game

### The convenience store checkout

The cashier asks five questions in one breath, and the subtitles flash past too fast to read. You put together 听不懂 (tīng bu dǒng) and 请慢一点 (qǐng màn yì diǎn). She says each question again, one slow word at a time.

### The pharmacy

On a later morning you have a stomach ache. You ask the pharmacist to slow down so you can follow how many tablets to take and when.

### Later in the week

The phrase comes back on a train and in a water town. This time you say it without the word cards.

## Questions

### How do you say I don’t understand in Chinese?

I don’t understand in Chinese is 听不懂 (tīng bu dǒng). It means you heard what was said but could not follow it. Add 请慢一点 (qǐng màn yì diǎn, please, a bit slower) and people usually say it again slowly.

### How do you say please speak slowly in Chinese?

Please speak slowly in Chinese is 请慢一点 (qǐng màn yì diǎn). Word for word it means “please, a bit slower”.

### What is the difference between 听不懂 and 不懂?

听不懂 (tīng bu dǒng) means you cannot understand what you hear. 不懂 (bù dǒng) is a general “I don’t understand”, and can also be about an idea. For speech you did not catch, 听不懂 (tīng bu dǒng) is clearer.

### Why does 一 sound like yì in 一点?

一 (yī, one) is yī on its own. Before a dipping tone, like diǎn, it becomes yì. Before a falling tone it becomes yí, as in 一个 (yí ge, one).

### Why is 不 short and soft in 听不懂?

In 听不懂 (tīng bu dǒng), 不 (bù) sits between “listen” and “understand”. In that place it loses its tone and is said quickly and softly: tīng bu dǒng.

### Will Chinese people slow down if I ask?

Most shop staff, drivers and pharmacists in China will say it again slowly if you say 听不懂，请慢一点 (tīng bu dǒng, qǐng màn yì diǎn). Some will also show you numbers on a phone or calculator.

## Related pages

- [How to say I speak a little Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/i-speak-a-little-chinese/): The modest answer to “can you speak Chinese?” and to praise, and how to say its tricky last three syllables.
- [How to say excuse me in Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/excuse-me-in-chinese/): What to say before you stop a stranger or after a small mistake, how it differs from a real “sorry”, and how people address strangers.
- [How to say how much in Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/how-much-in-chinese/): How to ask a price, how to ask about one thing or a price per half kilo, and how prices are said back.
- [When you know Chinese from an app but freeze when you speak](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/for/freeze-when-speaking-chinese/): For learners who recognise the words on a screen but cannot think of them when someone asks a question.