理解 lǐjiě — to understand, to comprehend; understanding
lǐjiě (third tone, dipping)li3jie3
to understand, to comprehend; understanding
HSK 4· HSK 1–4 (classic)verbnoun
Meanings
to understand, to comprehend; understanding
理, the underlying pattern of a thing, and 解, to untangle — grasping the sense of something, whether a rule that has been explained or a person’s feelings. It reaches beyond mere facts into why something is the way it is.
verb
Example sentences
- 老师讲了两遍，我还是不理解。老師講了兩遍，我還是不理解。Lǎoshī (third tone, dipping) jiǎngle (third tone, dipping) liǎng (third tone, dipping) biàn, (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) háishi (second tone, rising) bù (fourth tone, falling) lǐjiě. (third tone, dipping)···
The teacher explained it twice, but I still don’t understand.
- 谢谢你的理解，这件事真的不容易。謝謝你的理解，這件事真的不容易。Xièxie (fourth tone, falling) nǐ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) lǐjiě, (third tone, dipping) zhè (fourth tone, falling) jiàn (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling) zhēnde (first tone, high and level) bù (fourth tone, falling) róngyì. (second tone, rising)···
Thank you for understanding — this really isn’t easy.
Common mistakes
Not quite我对这个城市不太了解这个语法。
Correct老师讲了两遍，我还是不理解。
了解 is knowing the facts about something — a person, a country, a situation. 理解 is grasping the sense of something explained to you — a rule, a sentence, someone’s feelings. A grammar point that will not sink in is not 理解d, not merely un-了解d.