Meaning and Usage
The verb understand means to grasp the meaning, significance, or nature of something. It is commonly used to express comprehension or awareness of information, instructions, or situations. The past tense form is understood, which denotes that comprehension happened in the past.
Present Tense
The present tense of understand is used when someone comprehends something now or generally. It changes based on the subject pronoun:
| English Pronoun | English Conjugation | Spanish Conjugation | English Example | Spanish Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | understand | entiendo | I understand the problem. | Yo entiendo el problema. |
| You | understand | entiendes | You understand the instructions. | Tú entiendes las instrucciones. |
| He/She/It | understands | entiende | She understands the lesson. | Ella entiende la lección. |
| We | understand | entendemos | We understand the rules. | Nosotros entendemos las reglas. |
| They | understand | entienden | They understand the concept. | Ellos entienden el concepto. |
Past Tense
The past tense understood indicates that comprehension occurred at a specific past moment or throughout a past period.
| English Pronoun | English Conjugation | Spanish Conjugation | English Example | Spanish Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | understood | entendí | I understood the explanation. | Yo entendí la explicación. |
| You | understood | entendiste | You understood the situation. | Tú entendiste la situación. |
| He/She/It | understood | entendió | He understood the question. | Él entendió la pregunta. |
| We | understood | entendimos | We understood the problem. | Nosotros entendimos el problema. |
| They | understood | entendieron | They understood the instructions. | Ellos entendieron las instrucciones. |
Common Phrases
- I don't understand – To express lack of comprehension.
- Do you understand? – A question to check if someone comprehends.
- Understood! – An expression to confirm comprehension.
Related Verbs
Some verbs related to understand include comprehend, grasp, and realize. Each carries nuances related to comprehension or awareness but may differ slightly in formality or context.
For further grammar rules and examples about irregular verbs like understand/understood, you can visit the Irregular Verbs page.
