明白
to understand; clear
HSK level
- Pinyin
- míngbai
- Part of speech
- verb
- Level
- HSK 3
- Strokes
- 13
- Register
- neutral
Stroke order for 明白
明白 is written with 13 strokes (明: 8, 白: 5). The animation replays automatically.
What does 明白 mean?
明白 (míngbai) means 'to understand,' often with the nuance of 'to see clearly,' 'to get it,' or 'to grasp the meaning.'
It also works as an adjective meaning 'clear' or 'obvious': 这个道理很明白 ('this principle is very clear'). Literally 明 ('bright') + 白 ('white, plain') — both characters mean 'clear,' so the word reinforces the sense of mental clarity. 明白 contrasts with 懂 (dǒng), the other common 'understand' verb: 懂 is broader and works for understanding languages, subjects, or people, while 明白 specifically means 'the fog has cleared, I now see what you mean.'
A common conversational use is 我明白了 ('I get it now / understood'), often said after someone finishes explaining something. The opposite is 不明白 ('don't understand'). 明白 is neutral in register and equally common in speech and writing.
Character by character
Memory hook: 明 (bright) + 白 (clear) — two words for 'clear' joined together. When something is clear-clear, you understand it.
Example sentences
我明白你的意思。
Wǒ míngbai nǐ de yìsi.
I understand what you mean.
spoken
对不起，我没听明白。
Duìbuqǐ, wǒ méi tīng míngbai.
Sorry, I didn't quite catch that.
spoken
老师讲得很清楚，大家都明白了。
Lǎoshī jiǎng de hěn qīngchu, dàjiā dōu míngbai le.
The teacher explained clearly; everyone got it.
neutral
你能再说一次吗？我不太明白。
Nǐ néng zài shuō yí cì ma? Wǒ bú tài míngbai.
Could you say that again? I don't quite understand.
polite
这件事很明白，不用再讨论了。
Zhè jiàn shì hěn míngbai, bú yòng zài tǎolùn le.
This matter is quite clear; no need to discuss it further.
neutral
Common phrases with 明白
Synonyms
懂 is the broader 'understand' — used for languages (我懂中文), subjects (我懂数学), and people (我懂你). 明白 emphasizes a moment of clarity ('now I see what you mean'). When someone finishes explaining, 我明白了 is more natural than 我懂了 for that 'ah-ha' moment.
了解 means 'to know about, be familiar with' — knowledge built up over time. 我了解他 = 'I know him well.' 明白 is about grasping a specific idea or point right now.
理解 means 'to comprehend / empathize with' — more formal, often with emotional weight ('I understand why you feel that way'). 明白 is more everyday and intellectual ('I got the instructions').
Don't confuse 明白 with
FAQ
Acquire it by listening
Meet 明白 again — in real Chinese, at your level.
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