據了解

According to Our Understanding

Level 6Sounds Like geoi3 liu5 gaai2

據了解 (geoi3 liu5 gaai2) is a formal phrase used to introduce information obtained through investigation or reliable sources. It is the standard way for news anchors and reporters to attribute information without naming a specific person.

How It Works

據了解 (geoi3 liu5 gaai2) is a formal evidential marker. In Cantonese, 'evidentiality' refers to how a speaker knows what they are saying. While casual Cantonese uses 聽講 (teng1 gong2) for 'I heard,' formal contexts require a more authoritative tone.

1. Usage and Register
This phrase belongs to the 新聞語體 (san1 man4 jyu5 tai2 - news register). You will hear it constantly on TV news (like TVB or RTHK) and read it in newspapers. It is rarely used in casual conversation; using it with friends would make you sound like a news anchor reading a script.

2. Meaning Nuance
The phrase is composed of 據 (geoi3; 'according to') and 了解 (liu5 gaai2; 'to understand/investigate'). Unlike 根據 (gan1 geoi3), which requires a specific source (e.g., 'According to the police'), 據了解 is self-contained. It implies the speaker (or the organization they represent) has done the work to verify the information.

3. Sentence Placement
It almost always appears at the very beginning of a sentence or a major clause, usually followed by a comma to set the context for the statement that follows.

4. Phonological Note
Pay close attention to the tones: geoi3 liu5 gaai2. Learners often mistakenly use the Mandarin-influenced tone for the second syllable (liu2), but in formal Cantonese, the low-rising 5th tone (liu5) is essential for maintaining the correct register.

Examples (4)

  1. 據了解，事主已送院治理，目前情況穩定。

    It is understood that the victim has been sent to the hospital for treatment and is currently in stable condition.

    Word by Word: According to understanding, [the] person involved already sent [to] hospital treat, current situation stable.

    This is a classic news report sentence. '事主' (si6 zyu2) is a formal term for the person involved in an incident.

  2. 據了解，警方正封鎖現場調查意外原因。

    It is understood that the police are cordoning off the scene to investigate the cause of the accident.

    Word by Word: According to understanding, police [are] now cordoning scene investigate accident cause.

    Here, the phrase introduces an ongoing action being taken by authorities, common in breaking news.

  3. 據了解，政府最快聽日公佈新嘅防疫措施。

    It is understood that the government will announce new pandemic measures as early as tomorrow.

    Word by Word: According to understanding, government fastest tomorrow announce new [possessive] pandemic measures.

    This example shows the phrase used for policy updates. Note the use of '聽日' (ting1 jat6) which is colloquial, showing how formal markers can sometimes blend with standard Cantonese terms in broadcast news.

  4. 據了解，兩間公司已經達成初步協議。

    It is understood that the two companies have already reached a preliminary agreement.

    Word by Word: According to understanding, two [classifier] company already reach preliminary agreement.

    This demonstrates the use of the pattern in a formal business or financial reporting context.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the phrase in casual daily conversation.

    Different Meaning據了解，聽日會落雨。
    聽講聽日會落雨。

    Using '據了解' to talk about the weather with a friend sounds unnaturally stiff. Use '聽講' (teng1 gong2) for everyday hearsay or rumors.

  • Adding '根據' (gan1 geoi3) before the phrase.

    根據了解，佢已經辭咗職。
    據了解，佢已經辭咗職。

    '據' already means 'according to.' Adding '根據' makes the phrase redundant and non-standard.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

據了解Level 6According to Our Understanding

Learn This First

據了解 is a formal, broadcast-style expression used to attribute information to a source or general understanding. It requires familiarity with reporting verbs and the specific register used in news and official contexts.

Words in This Pattern

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