听懂 is a compound verb meaning 'to understand (something heard)'. It combines 听 (tīng), meaning 'to listen' or 'to hear', and 懂 (dǒng), meaning 'to understand' or 'to comprehend'. Together, they emphasize successful comprehension of spoken language—not just hearing the sounds, but grasping the meaning. This word is commonly used in everyday communication when discussing conversations, lectures, instructions, or media like podcasts and videos.

Unlike the simpler verb 懂, which can refer to general understanding (e.g., of a concept or written text), 听懂 specifically requires an auditory input: someone must be speaking, and the listener must process and interpret that speech accurately. It often appears with objects (e.g., 听懂老师的话) or in questions (e.g., 你听懂了吗？), and frequently pairs with aspect particles like 了 or 过 to indicate completion or experience.