明白 (míngbai) — to understand / clear

明白 (míngbai)

明白 means to understand or to be clear about something. As a verb it means to grasp the meaning or truth of something. As an adjective it describes something clear and easy to understand. It is more colloquial than 理解 (to comprehend).

Meanings

1. [verb] To understand; to get it; to be clear about something.
2. [adjective] Clear; obvious; easy to understand.

Example Sentences

你明白我的意思吗？ Nǐ míngbai wǒ de yìsi ma? Do you understand what I mean?

现在我明白了，谢谢你的解释。 Xiànzài wǒ míngbai le, xièxiè nǐ de jiěshì. Now I understand, thank you for the explanation.

这道题的答案很明白。 Zhè dào tí de dá'àn hěn míngbai. The answer to this question is very clear.

她明白地告诉我她不想去。 Tā míngbái de gàosù wǒ tā bù xiǎng qù. She clearly told me she did not want to go.

Collocations

Memory Hook

明 (bright) plus 白 (white). When something is bright white and well-lit, you can see it clearly. To 明白 is to have the lights on inside your head.