Comprendre is a fundamental French verb meaning "to understand." It is irregular and is used to express comprehension in a wide range of situations, from understanding concepts to grasping spoken language.
- Meaning: to understand
- Type: Irregular verb
- Usage: Expressing comprehension, understanding, or getting the meaning of something
Conjugation Overview
The correct stem for 'comprendre' in the present tense is 'comprend-' for most forms and 'compren-' for nous/vous.
Comprendre follows the pattern of other verbs like prendre (to take). Its root changes slightly in different tenses.
| Tense | Example (Je) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Present | je comprends | Radical changes like prendre |
| Passé Composé | j'ai compris | Past participle: compris |
| Imparfait | je comprenais | Regular imparfait ending |
| Future | je comprendrai | Regular future endings |
| Conditional | je comprendrais | Regular conditional endings |
- Present: je comprends, tu comprends, il comprend, nous comprenons, vous comprenez, ils comprennent
- Passé Composé: avoir + compris
- Imparfait: comprenais, comprenais, comprenait, comprenions, compreniez, comprenaient
The past participle of 'comprendre' is 'compris.'
Present Tense Usage
Use comprendre in the present to say you understand something right now or generally.
- Je comprends la leçon. (I understand the lesson.)
- Nous comprenons pourquoi. (We understand why.)
The correct form is 'ils comprennent.'
Passé Composé Usage
To say you understood something at a specific moment in the past, use the passé composé.
- J'ai compris la question. (I understood the question.)
- Elle a compris le problème. (She understood the problem.)
'Avoir' is used as the auxiliary verb.
Imparfait Usage
Use the imparfait when you want to say you used to understand something, or understood it over a prolonged past period.
- Je comprenais la musique. (I used to understand the music.)
- Vous compreniez le contexte. (You understood the context [back then].)
The correct future form is 'nous comprendrons.'
Future and Conditional Usage
- Future: Vous comprendrez bientôt. (You will understand soon.)
- Conditional: Ils comprendraient si... (They would understand if...)
Verbs like 'prendre,' 'apprendre,' and 'reprendre' share a similar pattern.
Summary
Comprendre is an essential irregular verb used for expressing understanding. Mastering its conjugations unlocks communication about comprehension across contexts and tenses.
- To understand = comprendre
- Irregular like prendre
- Past participle = compris
- Use in present, past (passé composé), imperfect, future, conditional, etc.