Definition
To understand something; to know how something works or what it means.
Example
你懂这道题的意思吗？
Show translation
Do you understand what this question means?
Etymology
懂 is a native Chinese verb attested since at least the Tang dynasty. Its left component 心 (xīn, "heart/mind") in some historical variants signals a mental process, while the phonetic component 董 (dǒng) carries the sound. The core sense has always been cognitive comprehension — grasping meaning with the mind.
Cultural note
In everyday Mandarin, 懂 is far more colloquial and immediate than the more formal 理解 (lǐjiě). Teachers routinely ask 懂了吗？("Got it?") after explaining something, and students reply 懂了 ("Got it") to confirm. The word also appears in internet slang: 懂的都懂 ("Those who know, know") — a cheeky way of hinting at something without spelling it out.