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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'to understand' with 明白 (míngbai)

    Actions & Events
    Topic & Focus

    Structure

    Subject + 明白 + (了) / 明白 + Clause

    Explanation

    明白 (míngbai) means 'to understand' or 'to be clear about something.' It is used both as a verb meaning 'to comprehend' and as an adjective meaning 'clear' or 'obvious,' and is very common in everyday conversation.

    Examples

    • 你明白我的意思吗？

      Nǐ míngbai wǒ de yìsi ma?

      Do you understand what I mean?

    • 这道数学题我终于明白了。

      Zhè dào shùxué tí wǒ zhōngyú míngbai le.

      I finally understood this math problem.

    • 他把道理讲得很明白。

      Tā bǎ dàolǐ jiǎng de hěn míngbai.

      He explained the reasoning very clearly.

    Often Confused With

    Expressing 'to understand' with 明白 (míngbai) | Chinese Grammar