verb HSK 4
to understand (by reading or watching) · to comprehend visually
Meaning
看懂 is a resultative verb compound meaning to understand something through reading or watching. The character 看 means 'to look/watch/read' and 懂 means 'to understand', so together they express the result of looking at something and successfully comprehending it.
Usage
This verb emphasizes understanding achieved through visual input—reading text, watching a movie, or observing something. It's commonly used in questions like '你看懂了吗?' (Did you understand it?) when referring to written material or visual content. Cannot be used for understanding spoken language; use 听懂 instead.
Examples
- 01这本书的内容太深了，我看不懂。, .The content of this book is too advanced; I can't understand it.
- 02你看懂这部电影了吗？?Did you understand this movie?
Characters
Common collocations
- 看懂了understood it (successfully)
- 看不懂can't understand (by reading/watching)
- 能看懂can understand (by reading/watching)
Antonyms
Origin
This is a resultative verb compound, a common pattern in Mandarin where a verb is followed by another verb or adjective indicating the result of the action.