明白

míngbai

verb HSK 1 #175

Meanings

1 to understand
2 clear
3 obvious

Characters

Both characters relate to clarity and brightness — when something is bright and clear, you understand it.

Examples

你明白了吗？

Nǐ míngbai le ma?

Do you understand?

我明白了。

Wǒ míngbai le.

I understand.

请说明白一点。

Qǐng shuō míngbai yìdiǎn.

Please explain more clearly.

Tips

usage

明白 vs 懂 (dǒng): both mean 'understand,' but 明白 emphasizes clarity ('it's clear to me'), while 懂 emphasizes comprehension ('I get it').

Stroke Order

明 míng

白 bái