懂dǒng

懂

Hover to feel · click to explore

Simplified · Today

简体

Simplified Chinese

(dǒng, "to understand") is a modern simplified form (簡體) that pairs the heart radical (忄) with the phonetic 童, originally a pictograph of a child. The heart plus child suggests a mind that is still pure enough to grasp truth, and today 懂 is the everyday verb for comprehending. --- 懒 (lǎn, "lazy") is a modern simpl

← → navigate · swipe on mobile

Shuowen

懂 is made of the heart radical 忄 and the phonetic 童; in oracle bone inscriptions the heart appears with a symbol that later became 童, indicating a sound that conveys clarity. The original meaning is 'to understand, to comprehend', because the heart receives the phonetic cue to grasp meaning. This composition reflects the ancient view that understanding arises in the heart when it hears the correct sound.

Pinyin

dǒng· HSK 1

懂dǒng

Character evolution

Shuowen

Pinyin