understand (redirected from understands)

un·der·stand  (ndr-stnd)

v. un·der·stood (-std), un·der·stand·ing, un·der·stands

v.tr.

1. To perceive and comprehend the nature and significance of; grasp. See Synonyms at apprehend.

2. To know thoroughly by close contact or long experience with: That teacher understands children.

3.

a. To grasp or comprehend the meaning intended or expressed by (another): They have trouble with English, but I can understand them.

b. To comprehend the language, sounds, form, or symbols of.

4. To know and be tolerant or sympathetic toward: I can understand your point of view even though I disagree with it.

5. To learn indirectly, as by hearsay: I understand his departure was unexpected.

6. To infer: Am I to understand you are staying the night?

7. To accept (something) as an agreed fact: It is understood that the fee will be 50 dollars.

8. To supply or add (words or a meaning, for example) mentally.

v.intr.

1.

a. To have understanding, knowledge, or comprehension.

b. To have sympathy or tolerance.

2. To learn something indirectly or secondhand; gather.

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[Middle English understanden, from Old English understandan : under-, under- + standan, to stand; see st- in Indo-European roots.]

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understand

Verb

[-standing, -stood]

1. to know and comprehend the nature or meaning of: I understand what you are saying

2. to know what is happening or why it is happening: in order to understand the problems that can occur

3. to assume, infer, or believe: I understand he is based in this town

4. to know how to translate or read: don't you understand Russian?

5. to be sympathetic to or compatible with: she needed him to understand her completely [Old English understandan]

understandable adj
understandably adv

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	understand - know and comprehend the nature or meaning of; "She did not understand her husband"; "I understand what she means" apprehend, comprehend, get the picture, grok, savvy, grasp, compass, dig - get the meaning of something; "Do you comprehend the meaning of this letter?" sense - comprehend; "I sensed the real meaning of his letter" follow - grasp the meaning; "Can you follow her argument?"; "When he lectures, I cannot follow" get, catch - grasp with the mind or develop an understanding of; "did you catch that allusion?"; "We caught something of his theory in the lecture"; "don't catch your meaning"; "did you get it?"; "She didn't get the joke"; "I just don't get him" touch - comprehend; "He could not touch the meaning of the poem" translate, understand, interpret, read - make sense of a language; "She understands French"; "Can you read Greek?" read - to hear and understand; "I read you loud and clear!" construe, interpret, see - make sense of; assign a meaning to; "What message do you see in this letter?"; "How do you interpret his behavior?" make out - comprehend; "I cannot make out what this politician is saying" figure out, puzzle out, solve, lick, work out, work - find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of; "did you solve the problem?"; "Work out your problems with the boss"; "this unpleasant situation isn't going to work itself out"; "did you get it?"; "Did you get my meaning?"; "He could not work the math problem" fathom, penetrate, bottom - come to understand
	2.	understand - perceive (an idea or situation) mentally; "Now I see!"; "I just can't see your point"; "Does she realize how important this decision is?"; "I don't understand the idea" realize, see, realise perceive - become conscious of; "She finally perceived the futility of her protest" take account, appreciate - be fully aware of; realize fully; "Do you appreciate the full meaning of this letter?" envision, fancy, picture, visualize, image, visualise, figure, see, project - imagine; conceive of; see in one's mind; "I can't see him on horseback!"; "I can see what will happen"; "I can see a risk in this strategy" see - see and understand, have a good eye; "The artist must first learn to see"
	3.	understand - make sense of a language; "She understands French"; "Can you read Greek?" translate, interpret, read understand - know and comprehend the nature or meaning of; "She did not understand her husband"; "I understand what she means"
	4.	understand - believe to be the case; "I understand you have no previous experience?" infer believe - accept as true; take to be true; "I believed his report"; "We didn't believe his stories from the War"; "She believes in spirits"
	5.	understand - be understanding of; "You don't need to explain--I understand!" empathise, empathize, sympathize, sympathise

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understand

verb 1. comprehend, get, take in, perceive, grasp, know, see, follow, realize, recognize, appreciate, be aware of, penetrate, make out, discern, twig Brit. (informal) fathom, savvy (slang) apprehend, conceive of, suss Brit. (informal) get to the bottom of, get the hang of (informal) tumble to (informal) catch on to (informal) cotton on to (informal) make head or tail of (informal) get your head round

verb 2. sympathize with, appreciate, be aware of, be able to see, take on board (informal) empathize with, commiserate with, show compassion for

verb 3. believe, hear, learn, gather, think, see, suppose, notice, assume, take it, conclude, fancy, presume, be informed, infer, surmise, hear tell, draw the inference

Translations

understand [ʌndəˈstænd] (irreg like stand) vt, vi → entender, comprender (= assume); tener entendido;

to make o.s. understood → hacerse entender;

I understand you have been absent → tengo entendido que (usted) ha estado ausente

understand [ʌndəˈstænd] vt, vi irreg like stand) → comprendre;

I don't understand → je ne comprends pas;

I understand that ... → je me suis laissé dire que ..., je crois comprendre que ...;

to make o.s. understood → se faire comprendre

understand [ʌndəˈstænd] irreg like stand) vt, vi → verstehen;

I understand (that) you have ... (= believe) → soweit ich weiß, haben Sie ...;

to make o.s. understood → sich verständlich machen

understand [ʌndəˈstænd] vb (irreg) like stand)

vt, vi → capire, comprendere;

I understand that ... → sento che ...; credo di capire che ...;

to make o.s. understood → farsi capire

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understand

v understand [andəˈstӕnd]

1 to see or know the meaning of (something) I can't understand his absence; Speak slowly to foreigners so that they'll understand you.verstaanيَفْهَمразбирам(po)rozumětforståverstehenκαταλαβαίνω, κατανοώcomprender, entenderaru saamaفهمیدنymmärtääcomprendreלְהָבִיןसमझनाrazumjeti(meg)értskiljacapire, comprendere理解するsuprastisaprastfahambegrijpen, verstaanforstå, skjønne, oppfattezrozumiećcompreendera înţelegeпониматьpochopiť, (po)rozumieťrazumetirazumetiförståเข้าใจanlamak懂розумітиسمجھناhiểu được ý懂

2 to know (eg a person) thoroughly She understands children/dogs.verstaanيَتَفَهَّمпознавамmít pochopeníforståsich verstehen aufσε βάθος καταλαβαίνω (π.χ. ένα πρόσωπο)comprender, entendermõistmaکاملاً آشنایی داشتنymmärtääcomprendreלְהָבִיןजानकारी रखनाpoznavatimegért; alaposan ismerskiljacapireよく知っているnusimanyti apie, suprastipazīt; izprast; saprastiesmemahamibegrijpenforstå, kjenne, skjønneznać się (na)compreendera cunoaşteуметь обращатьсяrozumieťpoznatirazumetiförstå sig påรู้เรื่องanlamak理解розумітиجانناhiểu, nhận thức được理解

3 to learn or realize (something), eg from information received At first I didn't understand how ill she was; I understood that you were planning to leave today.begrypيُدْرِكподразбирамdovědět se, vyrozumětforståannehmenκαταλαβαίνω, αντιλαμβάνομαιcomprender, entender; tener entendidotaipamaمتوجه شدنymmärtääcomprendreלְהָבִיןमहसूस करनाshvatitiértesülgera sér grein fyrir, skiljastcapire～と聞いているsuprastidomāt; pieņemt; noprastmengetahuibegrijpenforstå, gå ut fra, oppfatte, innsezorientować siępercebera sesizaосознавать; пониматьpochopiťuvidetishvatitiförståจำได้anlamak獲悉здогадуватися; дізнаватисяمحسوس کرناhiểu, nhận ra获悉

adj ˌunderˈstandable

that can be understood His anger is quite understandable.verstaanbaarمُمْكِن فَهْمُهразбираемpochopitelnýforståeligverständlichκατανοητός, ευνόητοςcomprensiblemõistetavقابل درکymmärrettäväcompréhensibleשֶׁנִיתַן לְהָבִינוֹजिसे समझा जा सकेshvatljiv, razumljivérthetőskiljanlegurcomprensibile理解できるsuprantamassaprotamsboleh difahamibegrijpelijkforståeligzrozumiałycompreensívelcomprehensibil, de neînţelesпонятныйpochopiteľnýrazumljivrazumljivförståeligที่สามารถเข้าใจได้anlaşılır可以理解的зрозумілийسمجھنے کے قابلcó thể hiểu được可以理解的

adj ˌunderˈstanding

(of a person) good at knowing how other people feel; sympathetic an understanding person; Try to be more understanding!begrypend, begrip hêمُتَفَهِّمразбиращchápajícíforståendeverständnisvollπου δείχνει κατανόηση (για πρόσωπο)comprensivomõistevفهیمymmärtäväcompréhensifמֵבִיןसमझimati više razumijevanjamegértőskilningsríkurcomprensivo理解のあるatjauèiantis, supratingassaprotošs; iejūtīgsbertimbang rasabegripvolforståelsesfullwyrozumiałycompreensivoînţelegătorотзывчивыйchápajúcirazumevajočuviđavanförståendeซึ่งเข้าอกเข้าใจanlayışlı, hoşgörülü有同情心的чуйнийسمجھ دار، لحاظ دارthông cảm有同情心的

n

1 the power of thinking clearly a man of great understanding.verstandفَهْم، إدْراكразумinteligenceforstandder Verstandαντίληψηinteligencia, entendimientomõistusعقل؛ درایتymmärrysintelligenceהבנהसमझshvaćanjeértelmi képességskilningurintelligenza理解力supratimas, išmanymassaprāts; izpratnepemahamanverstandforståelse, forstand, dømmekraftrozumintelectointeligenţăпониманиеinteligenciarazumznanjeförstånd, klokhetความสามารถในการวินิจฉัยkavrama, anlama, anlayış領會розум; кмітливістьفہمtrí tuệ领会

2 the ability to sympathize with another person's feelings His kindness and understanding were a great comfort to her.begripتَفَهُّمсъчувственporozuměníforståelsedas Verständnisκατανόησηcomprensiónmõistvusدرکymmärtämyscompréhensionהֲבָנָהहमदर्दीsuosjećanjemegértésskilningurcomprensione理解atjauta, supratingumasizpratne; iejūtībatimbang rasabegripforståelse, innsiktzrozumieniecompreensãoînţelegereотзывчивостьporozumenierazumevanjerazumevanjeförstående inställningความสามารถในการเข้าใจanlayış, hâlden anlama諒解розуміння; чуйністьمفاہمتsự hiểu biết谅解

3 a (state of) informal agreement The two men have come to / reached an understanding after their disagreement.verstandhoudingتَفاهُمразбиранеshodaforståelsedie Einigungσυνεννόηση, συμφωνίαentendimientokokkulepeتوافقsopimusententeהֲבָנָהसहमतिdogovormegállapodássamkomulagaccordo了解supratimas, susitarimassaprašanās; vienošanāspersefahamanverstandhoudingforståelseporozumienieacordoacordдоговорённостьzhodasporazumsporazumöverenskommelse, samförståndข้อตกลงร่วมกันanlaşma協議згода, взаєморозумінняسمجھوتہ، مفاہمتsự hiểu nhau协议

make (oneself) understood

to make one's meaning or intentions clear He tried speaking German to them, but couldn't make himself understood.verstaanbaarيَجْعَلُ نَفْسَه مَفْهوماразбранdorozumět segøre sig forståeligsich verständlich machenγίνομαι κατανοητός, αντιληπτόςhacerse entenderennast arusaadavaks tegemaمنظور خود را رساندنtehdä itsensä ymmärretyksise faire comprendreלְהַבהִירअपनी मंशा साफ करनाjasno se izrazitimegérteti magátgera (sig) skiljanleganfarsi capire意志を通じさせるpasakyti suprantamai, susikalbėtiskaidri izteikties; panākt saprašanumembuat orang lain memahaminyazich verstaanbaar makengjøre seg forstått; gi klar beskjedwyrażać się zrozumiale, porozumieć sięfazer(-se) entendera se face înţelesуметь объяснятьсяdorozumieť sasporazumeti sejasno se izrazitigöra sig förståddทำให้เข้าใจsöylemek istediğini belirtmek, meramını anlatmak使別人理解自己的意思порозумітисяسمجھاناlàm cho ai hiểu mình使别人理解自己的意思