Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 清楚 | qīngchu |
| 明確 / 明确 | míngquè |
| 明白 | míngbai |
In Chinese, 'clear' can refer to several types of clarity. You might use terms for logical clarity, such as understanding a concept or sensory clarity, such as seeing or hearing something. Common collocations include 看清楚 for 'to see clearly' and 听清楚 for 'to hear clearly'. If you want to express the negative, such as 'not clear', add 不 before the term, resulting in 不清楚 or 不明白.
Which one should you use?
The different forms of 'clear' are chosen based on the specific type of clarity being described. 清楚 is the most versatile term and can be used for both sensory clarity (seeing or hearing) and logical clarity (understanding a concept). 明确 (or 明確) is used in more formal contexts to mean something is explicit, definite or well-defined, such as a specific goal or rule. 明白 focuses on the state of a person's understanding, often meaning 'it is clear to my mind' or 'I understand', rather than describing the inherent quality of an object.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To use 清楚 as an adverb meaning 'clearly' (for example, 'speak clearly'), it is often preceded by the adverbial particle 地.
How do you pronounce it?
qīngchu
Did you know?
- The word 清楚 is an orthographic borrowing from the Japanese word seiso, meaning it shares its exact written form with a Japanese term.
- Using 不清楚 (not clear) is often a polite way to avoid saying 'I don't know', as it suggests the information is simply missing or vague rather than a personal failure of knowledge.
- While 明白 means 'clear', it is frequently used as a one-word response to an order, functioning like 'Understood!' or 'Roger that!' in a military or hierarchical context.
Examples in context
- 法律很清楚。The law is quite clear.This sentence shows how to describe the law as being clear using 清楚.Tatoeba #6114398 by verdastelo9604, translation #5747239 by CM
- 他的說明並不清楚。His explanation is not clear.This sentence uses 清楚 to describe an explanation that is not clear.Tatoeba #2680854 by tsayng, translation #287003 by CK
- 開始行動之前，一定要清楚目標是什麼。Before taking action, make sure you are clear about what the goal is.This sentence uses 清楚 to emphasize the need to be clear about a goal before taking action.Tatoeba #13532100 by LeviHighway, translation #13535326 by LeviHighway
- 这张照片非常清晰。This photo is very clear.
- 我明白你的意思了。I understand what you mean.
- 这个答案我记清清楚楚了。I remember this answer very clearly.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yuting is explaining a plan to Junjie.
- 雨婷 Yuting你對這個計劃清楚嗎？Nǐ duì zhège jìhuà qīngchu ma?Are you clear on this plan?
- 俊杰 Junjie不太清楚，能再說一遍嗎？Bú tài qīngchu, néng zài shuō yíbiàn ma?Not very clear, can you say it again?
- 雨婷 Yuting沒問題，我再解釋一次。Méi wèntí, wǒ zài jiěshì yícì.No problem, I will explain it once more.
- 俊杰 Junjie現在我很清楚了，謝謝雨婷。Xiànzài wǒ hěn qīngchu le, xièxie Yǔtíng.Now it's very clear to me, thanks Yuting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “clear” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 清楚, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
