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As the title denotes, I have lots of vaguenesses in making it clear between 分かっています and 知っています - Is their meaning all "I know"?

Hence, I can't stop thinking about these two:

  • 中国語を知っていますか?
  • 中国語が分かっていますか?

Do they have the same meaning? Can we use them interchangeably?

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marked as duplicate by istrasci, macraf, naruto grammar Feb 7 '17 at 23:08

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•中国語を知っていますか?
はい、もちろん知っています。中国で話されている言葉ですよね。
Yes, off course, I know it. It's the language spoken in Chaina.
•中国語が分かっていますか? （中国語が分かりますか？）
いいえ、分かりません。
No, I don't understand it. I can't read and hear it. (I can't read, hear, speak and write it.)

　 　

•ドナルド・トランプを知っていますか?
はい、もちろん知っています。アメリカの大統領ですよね。
Yes, off course, I know him. He is the president of US. (I know him through TV news everyday.)
•ドナルド・トランプが（どんな人物か、何を考えているのか）分かっていますか?
いいえ、分かりません。世界中の人が、まだ分かっていないと思います。
No, I don't understand him. He is very hard to understand for everybody in the world.

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知っています literally means you KNOW ABOUT sth 分かっています literally means you UNDERSTAND sth

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  • I think that is oversimplifying it. Associating two English translations to two Japanese words that are interchangeable in many contexts may actually not be very helpful. – Earthliŋ♦ Feb 7 '17 at 21:01
  • I feel like this is the most direct way to help OP to understand the difference between those two. I understand that those two words are interchangeable under many situation. However, this is the fundamental difference. I don't care that much about downvotes but this answer does not deserve one. – Davvvvad Feb 7 '17 at 21:16
  • Sorry, I only left a comment and didn't downvote you. I don't think it's a bad approach to an answer, but it would probably be a better answer if you expanded on this analogy (for example, give sentences where these two have the desired connotations and also give examples where this analogy breaks down). – Earthliŋ♦ Feb 7 '17 at 21:40
  • ＠BeyondRiver - Re: the posters specific question about 中国語, do your definitions fit the meanings of his sentences? I feel it does, but I'm not certain it is absolute. To make life difficult, 「分かっている　和かっている　判っている　解っている」can all use the pronunciation 「わかっている」 , yet they clearly can have different nuances: understand, know about, judge, solve. – Craig Hicks Feb 7 '17 at 22:08
  • ^ 「和かっている」って・・・？ – Chocolate♦ Feb 8 '17 at 1:56

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