Prefixes of understand
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misunderstand
- verb interpret in the wrong way
misinterpret; misconceive; be amiss; misconstrue; misapprehend.- Don’t misinterpret my comments as criticism
- She misconstrued my remarks
- More ‘misunderstand’ Meaning
- misunderstand Associated Words
- misunderstand Prefix/Suffix Words
- misunderstand Related Words
- verb interpret in the wrong way
Suffixes of understand
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understanding
- noun the cognitive condition of someone who understands
apprehension; savvy; discernment.- he has virtually no understanding of social cause and effect
- noun the statement (oral or written) of an exchange of promises
agreement.- they had an agreement that they would not interfere in each other’s business
- there was an understanding between management and the workers
- More ‘understanding’ Meaning
- understanding Associated Words
- understanding Prefix/Suffix Words
- understanding Related Words
- noun the cognitive condition of someone who understands
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understand
- verb know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
- She did not understand her husband
- I understand what she means
- verb perceive (an idea or situation) mentally
see; realize; realise.- Now I see!
- I just can’t see your point
- Does she realize how important this decision is?
- I don’t understand the idea
- More ‘understand’ Meaning
- understands Associated Words
- understands Prefix/Suffix Words
- understands Related Words
- verb know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
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understanding
- noun the cognitive condition of someone who understands
apprehension; savvy; discernment.- he has virtually no understanding of social cause and effect
- noun the statement (oral or written) of an exchange of promises
agreement.- they had an agreement that they would not interfere in each other’s business
- there was an understanding between management and the workers
- More ‘understanding’ Meaning
- understandings Associated Words
- understandings Prefix/Suffix Words
- understandings Related Words
- noun the cognitive condition of someone who understands
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understandable
- adjective satellite capable of being apprehended or understood
graspable; perceivable; intelligible; apprehensible.
- More ‘understandable’ Meaning
- understandable Associated Words
- understandable Related Words
- adjective satellite capable of being apprehended or understood
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understandably
- adverb in an intelligible manner
intelligibly; clearly.- the foreigner spoke to us quite intelligibly
- More ‘understandably’ Meaning
- understandably Associated Words
- understandably Related Words
- adverb in an intelligible manner
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understandability
- noun the quality of comprehensible language or thought
comprehensibility.
- More ‘understandability’ Meaning
- understandability Associated Words
- understandability Related Words
- noun the quality of comprehensible language or thought
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understandingly
- adverb with understanding
- she nodded understandingly
- More ‘understandingly’ Meaning
- understandingly Associated Words
- understandingly Prefix/Suffix Words
- understandingly Related Words
- adverb with understanding
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understand
- verb know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
- She did not understand her husband
- I understand what she means
- verb perceive (an idea or situation) mentally
see; realize; realise.- Now I see!
- I just can’t see your point
- Does she realize how important this decision is?
- I don’t understand the idea
- More ‘understand’ Meaning
- understanded Related Words
- verb know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
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understand
- verb know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
- She did not understand her husband
- I understand what she means
- verb perceive (an idea or situation) mentally
see; realize; realise.- Now I see!
- I just can’t see your point
- Does she realize how important this decision is?
- I don’t understand the idea
- More ‘understand’ Meaning
- understander Associated Words
- understander Prefix/Suffix Words
- understander Related Words
- verb know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
Derived words of understand
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misunderstanding
- noun putting the wrong interpretation on
mistaking; misinterpretation.- his misinterpretation of the question caused his error
- there was no mistaking her meaning
- noun an understanding of something that is not correct
misapprehension; mistake.- he wasn’t going to admit his mistake
- make no mistake about his intentions
- there must be some misunderstanding—I don’t have a sister
- More ‘misunderstanding’ Meaning
- misunderstanding Associated Words
- misunderstanding Prefix/Suffix Words
- misunderstanding Related Words
- noun putting the wrong interpretation on
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misunderstanding
- noun putting the wrong interpretation on
mistaking; misinterpretation.- his misinterpretation of the question caused his error
- there was no mistaking her meaning
- noun an understanding of something that is not correct
misapprehension; mistake.- he wasn’t going to admit his mistake
- make no mistake about his intentions
- there must be some misunderstanding—I don’t have a sister
- More ‘misunderstanding’ Meaning
- misunderstandings Associated Words
- misunderstandings Related Words
- noun putting the wrong interpretation on
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misunderstand
- verb interpret in the wrong way
misinterpret; misconceive; be amiss; misconstrue; misapprehend.- Don’t misinterpret my comments as criticism
- She misconstrued my remarks
- More ‘misunderstand’ Meaning
- misunderstands Associated Words
- misunderstands Related Words
- verb interpret in the wrong way
About Prefix and Suffix Words
This page lists all the words created by adding prefixes, suffixes to the word `understand`. For each word, youwill notice a blue bar below the word. The longer the blue bar below a word, the more common/popular the word. Very short blue bars indicate rare usage.
While some of the words are direct derivations of the word `understand`, some are not.
You can click on each word to see it’s meaning.
About Prefix and Suffix Words
This page lists all the words created by adding prefixes, suffixes to the word `understand`. For each word, youwill notice a blue bar below the word. The longer the blue bar below a word, the more common/popular the word. Very short blue bars indicate rare usage.
While some of the words are direct derivations of the word `understand`, some are not.
You can click on each word to see it’s meaning.
- Top Definitions
- Quiz
- Related Content
- When To Use
- Examples
- British
- Idioms And Phrases
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
[ uhn-der-stand ]
/ ˌʌn dərˈstænd /
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
verb (used with object), un·der·stood, un·der·stand·ing.
to perceive the meaning of; grasp the idea of; comprehend: to understand Spanish; I didn’t understand your question.
to be thoroughly familiar with; apprehend clearly the character, nature, or subtleties of: to understand a trade.
to assign a meaning to; interpret: He understood her suggestion as a complaint.
to grasp the significance, implications, or importance of: He does not understand responsibility.
to regard as firmly communicated; take as agreed or settled: I understand that you will repay this loan in 30 days.
to learn or hear: I understand that you are going out of town.
to accept as true; believe: I understand that you are trying to be truthful, but you are wrong.
to construe in a particular way: You are to understand the phrase literally.
to supply mentally (something that is not expressed).
verb (used without object), un·der·stood, un·der·stand·ing.
to perceive what is meant; grasp the information conveyed: She told them about it in simple words, hoping they would understand.
to accept tolerantly or sympathetically: If you can’t do it, I’ll understand.
to have knowledge or background, as on a particular subject: He understands about boats.
to have a systematic interpretation or rationale, as in a field or area of knowledge: He can repeat every rule in the book, but he just doesn’t understand.
QUIZ
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Origin of understand
First recorded before 900; Middle English understanden, understonden, Old English understondan; cognate with Dutch onderstaan. See under-, stand
OTHER WORDS FROM understand
pre·un·der·stand, verb, pre·un·der·stood, pre·un·der·stand·ing.
Words nearby understand
under someone’s wing, undersparred, underspend, underspin, understaffed, understand, understandable, understanding, understate, understated, understatement
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
WHEN TO USE
What are other ways to say understand?
To understand something is to be thoroughly familiar with it, or to apprehend clearly its character, nature, or subtleties. How is understand different from know and comprehend? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Words related to understand
accept, discern, explain, fathom, figure out, find out, follow, get, grasp, interpret, know, learn, master, perceive, read, realize, recognize, see, sense, tolerate
How to use understand in a sentence
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This means they will make an effort to understand the complex and nuanced healthcare landscape and all the stakeholders in it.
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Let’s focus on hospitalizations for a moment to understand why.
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By understanding these aspects, you can create relevant marketing content that will resonate with your audience on the platform.
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You can understand if you’re in Game 6, and someone’s going home, you better be right on the play.
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Builtvisible creates resources and sustains an active blog to help their clients and potential clients understand what services they need.
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He appeared to understand however belatedly that he was in the presence of another kind of greatness.
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Carla points out how meaningful it can be to have people in your life who simply understand what you’re going through.
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I understand that this is human trafficking, but I know that my people have no other option.
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Is that a utilitarian approach—that you need to understand how institutions have changed to understand the way they are?
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If you look at the history, you can really understand why the parties are so divided and why the public is so split.
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Now first we shall want our pupil to understand, speak, read and write the mother tongue well.
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He spoke clearly and slowly, well knowing that some among the natives would understand him.
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Why he did that, instead of walking around on the shore, Jimmy Rabbit couldn’t understand.
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«Now I have a larger place for you,» the boy said, speaking just as though Squinty could understand him.
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She knew that she alone of all human beings was gifted with the power to understand and fully sympathize with him.
British Dictionary definitions for understand
verb -stands, -standing or -stood
(may take a clause as object) to know and comprehend the nature or meaning ofI understand you; I understand what you mean
(may take a clause as object) to realize or grasp (something)he understands your position
(tr; may take a clause as object) to assume, infer, or believeI understand you are thinking of marrying
(tr) to know how to translate or readcan you understand Spanish?
(tr; may take a clause as object; often passive) to accept as a condition or provisoit is understood that children must be kept quiet
(tr) to be sympathetic to or compatible withwe understand each other
Derived forms of understand
understandable, adjectiveunderstandably, adverb
Word Origin for understand
Old English understandan; related to Old Frisian understonda, Middle High German understān step under; see under, stand
Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with understand
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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Meaning of ‘To Understand’
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- To know or come to know the meaning of something
Conjugation of verb ‘Understand’
V1 Base Form (Infinitive): | To Understand |
V2 Past Simple: | Understood |
V3 Past Participle: | Understood |
V4 3rd Person Singular: | Understands |
V5 Present Participle/Gerund: | Understanding |
Irregular Verbs Following a Similar Pattern
Verbs like: Like ‘Stand-Stood-Stood’ (AND OOD OOD)
V1 Base Form | V2 Past Simple | V3 Past Participle |
---|---|---|
Misunderstand | Misunderstood | Misunderstood |
Stand | Stood | Stood |
Withstand | Withstood | Withstood |
In a formal email, you might be given instructions or tasks to complete. Replying “I understand” is a good way to show someone that you accept the instructions. This article will explore a few other alternatives that work well in formal emails and business contexts.
The preferred synonyms are “understood,” “I appreciate that,” and “that makes sense.” In formal contexts, these phrases work well to show that you’ve read and accepted the tasks that someone has asked of you. You can use these to show that you respect the request or authority.
Understood
“Understood” is the simplest (but most effective) replacement for “I understand.” In formal emails, it shows that you have understood the situation.
Using a one-word response is a great way to keep the reply light and easy to read. It shows that you’ve accepted a task without the need for further communication.
- Dear Tom,
- Understood. I’ll let you know when I’ve compiled all of the information that you need for this study.
- All the best,
- Sarah
- Hey Mike,
- Understood. I appreciate being given the opportunity to show you what I can do. I won’t let you down.
- Thank you,
- Dean
- Dear sir,
- Understood. I’m glad that you came to me with this. I hope there are some things I can do to make you believe in me.
- Best wishes,
- Adam
I Appreciate That
“I appreciate that” shows that you accept a task or set of instructions. “Appreciating” things in this context means that you have understood them and will do what you can to make sure those things are completed.
- Dear Mr. Walker,
- I appreciate that. Don’t worry about a thing. The project is in good hands now, and I’ll let you know as soon as it’s completed.
- All the best,
- Sandra
- Hey Millie,
- I appreciate that. I’ll let the rest of the team know when the meeting is being held. I’ll tell them what they should expect from it as well.
- Thank you,
- Daniel
- Dear Mrs. Marshall,
- I appreciate that. If there’s anything else you’d like me to do to assist you, just ask! I’m only an email away.
- Best wishes,
- Alfred
That Makes Sense
“That makes sense” is a good choice for formal writing after someone has explained something to you. This phrase works best when someone has asked you to do something and given you a reasonable clarification as to why.
Sometimes, someone would say “do this” with no further explanation. In these cases, you might want to use a simpler response like “I will” or “understood.”
If they elaborate, they may say, “do this because it will help with this.” Here, you could say “that makes sense” to show that you understand your task, as well as the outcome to expect from it.
- Dear Parker,
- That makes sense. I’m glad you have decided to move forward with all of this. I think it’s for the good of the company.
- Best wishes,
- Suzanne
- Hey Tim,
- That makes sense. I will let everyone know that there will be a meeting to discuss the next steps.
- Thank you,
- Martin
- Dear Zachary,
- That makes sense. Is there anything you need from me right now? I want to make this as smooth as I can for you.
- All the best,
- Marge
I Copy
“I copy” is a decent choice in formal emails. It’s most common to use “copy” as a synonym for “understand” in military English. It’s found mainly in radio communications to show that someone understood the last message that was sent to them.
While it works well for radio communication and spoken English, there’s nothing stopping you from using “I copy” in written English and business contexts as well. It’s a great phrase that shows you understand.
- Dear Miss Moneypenny
- I copy. I’ll do what I can to make sure all of this gets completed before the CEO comes to the office. I’m sure there’s enough time.
- Best wishes,
- James
- Dear Melissa,
- I copy, and I’m glad you trusted me with this. I’ll let you know when I’m ready to share the information later.
- All the best,
- Sally
- Hey Karen,
- I copy. I appreciate that you have a few concerns, and you can rest easy knowing that I will do what I can to correct these issues.
- Thank you,
- Mr. Synergy
I Am With You
“I am with you” is a good option in some formal cases. It shows that you’re thinking in the same way as the recipient, or you understand what they might be asking you to do.
It might come across as a little jarring to some, though. “I am with you” almost sounds robotic if you’re not careful with how you deliver it in your message.
- Dear Sam,
- I am with you. Is there anything you’d like to run me through before I get to work on the rest of it?
- All the best,
- Audrey
- Dear Mr. Bennett,
- I am with you. I thought you might come to me for help with this situation. I’ve already set some things up that should help us out.
- Best wishes,
- Hughie
- Hey Mr. Storm,
- I am with you. I’ll be there when you need me this weekend. Just let me know where I need to show up.
- Thank you,
- Miss Tina
I Get It
“I get it” is a good choice for formal and informal English. It works well because it shows that you’ve “understood” something by “getting it.” This means you don’t need it to be explained any further.
Some people would argue that “I get it” is too informal. It can come across as a bit snappy (like saying “shut up”). You should be careful overusing it because it could give the wrong impression to some recipients.
- Hey Jacqui,
- I get it, and I’ll do what I can. I appreciate you coming to me with these instructions. I believe I’m a good fit for this situation.
- Thank you,
- Jessica
- Dear Anita,
- I get it, and I’ll see what I can do. I hope we can come to some kind of arrangement once this is all completed.
- All the best,
- George
- Dear Ben
- I get it, thank you. I’ll be sure to contact you once this is done. I appreciate you taking the time to email me, though.
- Best wishes,
- Mr. Dickinson
I Will
“I will” is a general response that works well in formal emails. It shows that you “will” follow the commands or orders that someone might have given you. It works best when answering someone higher up than you, but it can work in other contexts too.
Generally, “I will” isn’t the only thing you would write.
In a formal email, you’d want to say something like “I will do that” or “I will see what I can do.” “I will” is the generic response, but you can always add more to show that you’ve fully read and received the task someone sent you.
- Dear Chris,
- I will get right on that. Thank you for offering me as a team leader here. I’m glad that my value is finally being understood.
- Best wishes,
- Emma
- Hey Nicola
- I will do what you ask of me. I should be able to get most of these files done by the end of the day. If not, slightly sooner.
- Thank you,
- Nathan
- Dear Mr. Sutton
- I will. I’ll be sure to contact you as soon as I’ve completed the task. You’ll be hearing from me soon.
- All the best,
- Joe
Acknowledged
“Acknowledged” is a simple phrase that works well in formal English. In emails, it can be useful to keep to as few words as possible when replying to tasks. That’s why a single-word answer like this works well.
Some people might think it sounds a bit too abrupt. Generally, if you’re worried about coming across as blunt or rude, you should add a few extra sentences after “acknowledged” to show the recipient that you truly understand what they asked you.
- Dear Sarah,
- Acknowledged. I’ll let you know when I’ve done most of the work, so you can take over from me.
- Best wishes,
- Pauline
- Hey Frederick,
- Acknowledged. There shouldn’t need to be much else that you need to do. I’ll let you know if that changes.
- Thank you,
- Miss Julia
- Dear Thomas,
- Acknowledged. I’m glad you came to me with this information. I’ll do what I can to make things right.
- All the best,
- Robert
I Acknowledge That
“I acknowledge that” is a longer version of “acknowledged.” If you would prefer to use a full phrase (rather than a fragment like “acknowledged), this works the best.
In formal emails, “I acknowledge that” shows that you accept and appreciate what someone is asking from you. It usually means you’ll do whatever they ask (either straight away or after you’ve completed your current tasks).
- Hey Ryan,
- I acknowledge that, and I appreciate you coming to me to ask for help with this. I hope there’s something we can do together.
- Thank you,
- Allan
- Dear Mr. Rutherford,
- Yes, I acknowledge that. I think I have a few ideas that should help us to understand more about what is needed.
- Best wishes,
- Terrence
- Dear Gary,
- I acknowledge that. I’ll be sure to get to work on the projects as soon as I’m given the information that you’ve addressed.
- All the best,
- Samantha
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
To understand something means to be aquainted with it, to know it very well, know how it «ticks». This is one of the basic words that has a direct «meaning» in mind.
However, if we «dissect» it, is seems like it means to stand under something. Isn’t knowing something would logically be called abovestand and not understand, since when you are under something, you are less informed about it then when you are above it.
This may seem senseless to you, but I am sure a native English speaker will get the idea of what I am trying to say. Why under, not above?
Daniel
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asked Mar 14, 2012 at 16:07
Maxim V. PavlovMaxim V. Pavlov
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It’s not «logical». It’s metaphorical. Here’s the etymology from the OED:
[OE. understondan, -standan (under-1 8 a), = OFris. understonda, MDa. understande, MSw. undi(r)standa, OIcel. (as a foreign word) undirstanda. Cf. MLG. understân to understand, to step under, MDutch onderstaen (Dutch —staan), MHG. understân, —stên (G. unterstehen), to take upon oneself, to venture, presume, etc.
With a different prefix, the same use of stand appears in OE. forstandan, OS. farstandan, OHG. far-, firstantan (firstân), and MHG. verstân, -stên (G. verstehen), MDutch verstaen (Dutch —staan). In the 15th and 16th cents. three forms of the past participle were current, viz. (a) the original understanden (also —stonden), in use till about 1550; (b) the reduced form of this, understande (-stonde), —stand (-stond), common till about 1575, and surviving into the 17th cent.; (c) the new form understanded (-stonded), very common from about 1530 to 1585. The occurrence of understanded in the Thirty-Nine Articles, xxxv, in the phrase `understanded of the people’, has given rise to recent echoes of it, especially in journalistic use. The modern form understood came into use in the latter part of the 16th cent., and was usual by 1600. ]
So understand means to stand under (we would now say «stand behind» as a more common idiom), to know well, to have trust in, to have personal confidence in, etc. To say one understands a task, a trade, a fact, an idea, a job, the meaning of a word, or a person means all that. The personal aspect of the word is pre-eminent.
answered Mar 14, 2012 at 16:26
John LawlerJohn Lawler
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You can’t assume a current word superficially constructed from multiple elements which are also current words can necessarily be easily «deconstructed» from current meanings of the components.
From OED, it appears English imported understand wholesale from Middle Dutch onderstaen (to take upon oneself, to venture, presume). But Old English also had the same use of «stand» in forstandan.
From pp 210-214, An Analytic Dictionary of English Etymology, An Introduction (2008):
OE. forstandan, OHG firstantan, firstan ‘verstehen’ may have meant primarily ‘stand before,’ and hence ‘watch, observe, perceive’. And just as the «stand» component semantically relates to perception, standpoint rather than physical posture, the «under» component is actually more among, within rather than beneath, supporting.
Be warned that if you follow the above link, you’re looking at six pages of densely-packed analysis of the etymology of understand; attempts to summarise it here are somewhat futile.
I’m not sure any of this will really help OP. It just serves as a reminder that language evolves — things which look similar today may be unrelated, and things which look dissimilar may have a common origin.
answered Mar 14, 2012 at 16:29
FumbleFingersFumbleFingers
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The prefix under in understand does not mean «beneath», but rather appears to be from an unrelated root mean «among». Allow me to quote etymonline.com:
O.E. understandan «comprehend, grasp the idea of,» probably lit. «stand in the midst of,» from under + standan «to stand» (see stand). If this is the meaning, the under is not the usual word meaning «beneath,» but from O.E. under, from PIE *nter- «between, among» (cf. Skt. antar «among, between,» L. inter «between, among,» Gk. entera «intestines;» see inter-).
That is the suggestion in Barnhart, but other sources regard the «among, between, before, in the presence of» sense of O.E. prefix and preposition under as other meanings of the same word. «Among» seems to be the sense in many O.E. compounds that resemble understand, e.g. underniman «to receive,» undersecan «to investigate,» underginnan «to begin.» It also seems to be the sense still in expressions such as under such circumstances.
Perhaps the ultimate sense is «be close to,» cf. Gk. epistamai «I know how, I know,» lit. «I stand upon.» Similar formations are found in O.Fris. (understonda), M.Dan. (understande), while other Germanic languages use compounds meaning «stand before» (cf. Ger. verstehen, represented in O.E. by forstanden). For this concept, most I.E. languages use figurative extensions of compounds that lit. mean «put together,» or «separate,» or «take, grasp» (see comprehend). O.E. oferstandan, M.E. overstonden, lit. «over-stand» seem to have been used only in literal senses.
answered Mar 14, 2012 at 16:25
Etymonline presents a plausible explanation:
understand
O.E. understandan «comprehend, grasp the idea of,» probably lit. «stand in the midst of,» from under + standan «to stand» (see stand). If this is the meaning, the under is not the usual word meaning «beneath,» but from O.E. under, from PIE nter- «between, among» (cf. Skt. antar «among, between,» L. inter «between, among,» Gk. entera «intestines;» see inter-).
It goes on to give a second explanation which ties understand to the current word under:
That is the suggestion in Barnhart, but other sources regard the «among, between, before, in the presence of» sense of O.E. prefix and preposition under as other meanings of the same word. «Among» seems to be the sense in many O.E. compounds that resemble understand, e.g. underniman «to receive,» undersecan «to investigate,» underginnan «to begin.» It also seems to be the sense still in expressions such as under such circumstances.
Perhaps the ultimate sense is «be close to,» cf. Gk. epistamai «I know how, I know,» lit. «I stand upon.» Similar formations are found in O.Fris. (understonda), M.Dan. (understande), while other Germanic languages use compounds meaning «stand before» (cf. Ger. verstehen, represented in O.E. by forstanden). For this concept, most I.E. languages use figurative extensions of compounds that lit. mean «put together,» or «separate,» or «take, grasp» (see comprehend). O.E. oferstandan, M.E. overstonden, lit. «over-stand» seem to have been used only in literal senses.
answered Mar 14, 2012 at 16:22
DanielDaniel
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According to the extremely useful and interesting Online Etymology Dictionary (www.etymonline.com), understand comes from old English. In those days, under did not mean «beneath», but «among, between», a semantic thread that goes all the way back to the Sanskrit word antar.
But the dictionary also states another hypothesis, which is directly linked to your opinion, but rather inversely (cf. Gk. epistamai): «I stand upon.»
It’s good to keep in mind that words have old and forgotten ancestors. The link between the new and the old might remain, but most often in an exquisitely convoluted fashion.
answered Mar 14, 2012 at 16:58
You might be getting tripped up by thinking that under means below or beneath. Sure, under *can* mean the opposite of over or above, but there are several other meanings of under as well.
Several words begin with under— (such as undertones, understudy, understate, undertake) — not always implying physical proximity beneath something else.
(See link provided above).
answered Mar 14, 2012 at 16:25
J.R.J.R.
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The direct answer to your question is that the meaning of ‘understand’ is not a composition of its parts, as you have well noticed, and this is a general feature of natural languages that it is not logical or literal. It might start off literally (as in a constructed language) but once a generation has gone by, everything is metaphorical. For example there are similar words ‘undertake’, ‘forget’, ‘withhold’ whose meanings are only tangentially related to their parts.
As to the particular phenomenon of ‘understand’, etymonline has a speculative derivation where ‘under’ really comes from the PIE root for ‘inter’ or between, thus an attempt at preserving some literal connection in the ancient word.
For comparison as to how other languages do it for ‘understand’, there is quite a bit of illogical non-literal metaphor: ‘com-prendre’ in French and Spanish (literally ‘take with’), ‘по-нимать’ (Russian — ‘takes on’), ‘κατα-λαμβάνω’ (Greek ‘hold down’). Of course all these examples are European so there may be an area influence (Sprachbund). I was unable to confirm examples in Indian or Chinese (most terms in Chinese really are pairs of syllables each with their own stand alone meaning) so often a metaphorical extension occurs anyway.
answered Mar 14, 2012 at 16:50
MitchMitch
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This Reddit post refers to an explanation in Story of Human Language. Please edit this, if you know at which moment in time or which lecture.
If you like John McWhorter (I do, but I can admit some shortcomings in his conclusions as a result of his enthusiasm), he discusses this in one of his Great Courses lectures, though I forget which one. The conclusion he comes to is that understanding means that you are “standing under/amid the information”, meaning you know it well.
answered Jun 5, 2018 at 14:13
- accept
- discern
- explain
- fathom
- figure out
- find out
- follow
- get
- grasp
- interpret
- know
- learn
- master
- perceive
- read
- realize
- recognize
- see
- sense
- tolerate
- apprehend
- catch
- conceive
- deduce
- distinguish
- infer
- note
- penetrate
- possess
- register
- savvy
- seize
- sympathize
- be aware
- be conscious of
- be with it
- catch on
- get the hang of
- get the idea
- get the picture
- get the point
- have knowledge of
- identify with
- ken
- make out
- make sense of
- take in
- take meaning
- accept
- assume
- consider
- guess
- hear
- learn
- concede
- conceive
- conclude
- conjecture
- deduce
- expect
- fancy
- gather
- imagine
- infer
- presume
- reckon
- suppose
- surmise
- suspect
- be informed
- count on
- feel for
- take for granted
- take it
On this page you’ll find 167 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to understand, such as: accept, discern, explain, fathom, figure out, and find out.
- discard
- ignore
- leave
- reject
- disbelieve
- know
- misunderstand
- misinterpret
- mistake
Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
TRY USING understand
See how your sentence looks with different synonyms.
WHEN TO USE
What are other ways to say understand?
To understand is to be fully aware not only of the meaning of something but also of its implications: I could comprehend all he said, but did not understand that he was joking. To know is to be aware of something as a fact or truth: He knows the basic facts of the subject. I know that he agrees with me. To comprehend is to know something thoroughly and to perceive its relationships to certain other ideas, facts, etc.
How to use understand in a sentence
Now first we shall want our pupil to understand, speak, read and write the mother tongue well.
THE SALVAGING OF CIVILISATIONH. G. (HERBERT GEORGE) WELLS
SYNONYM OF THE DAY
OCTOBER 26, 1985
WORDS RELATED TO UNDERSTAND
- assimilate
- comprehend
- digest
- follow
- get
- get into
- grasp
- incorporate
- latch onto
- learn
- sense
- soak up
- take in
- understand
- acknowledge
- apprehend
- be aware of
- be cognizant of
- be conscious of
- catch the drift
- comprehend
- dig
- fathom
- grasp
- know
- perceive
- read
- realize
- recognize
- savvy
- see daylight
- sympathize with
- take account of
- understand
- acknowledges
- apprehends
- catches the drift
- comprehends
- digs
- fathoms
- grasps
- is aware of
- is cognizant of
- is conscious of
- knows
- perceives
- reads
- realizes
- recognizes
- savvies
- sees daylight
- sympathizes with
- takes account of
- understands
- comprehend
- digest
- grasp
- incorporate
- ingest
- learn
- osmose
- sense
- soak up
- take in
- take up
- understand
- accept
- ascertain
- be afraid
- be inclined to think
- conclude
- conjecture
- consider
- count upon
- deduce
- deem
- divine
- estimate
- expect
- fall for
- fancy
- find
- gather
- get the idea
- guess
- have a hunch
- have sneaking suspicion
- hypothesize
- imagine
- infer
- judge
- posit
- postulate
- predicate
- presume
- presuppose
- speculate
- suppose
- surmise
- suspect
- theorize
- think
- understand
- accepts
- ascertains
- concludes
- conjectures
- considers
- counts upon
- deduces
- deems
- divines
- estimates
- expects
- falls for
- fancies
- finds
- gathers
- gets the idea
- guesses
- has a hunch
- have sneaks suspicion
- hypothesizes
- imagines
- infers
- is afraid
- is inclined to thinks
- judges
- posits
- postulates
- predicates
- presumes
- presupposes
- speculates
- supposes
- surmises
- suspects
- theorizes
- thinks
- understands
Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Таблица неправильных глаголов
В английском языке глаголы делятся на правильные и неправильные. Неправильные глаголы — это такие глаголы, у которых форма прошедшего времени ( Past tense form ), а также форма причастия прошедшего времени ( Past participle ) образуется не так, как у правильных глаголов. Правильные глаголы образуют эти формы путём прибавления –ed к первой форме. Подробнее про глаголы.
Нет общего правила для неправильных глаголов. Их нужно просто выучить.
Base form | Past simple | Past participle | Перевод |
---|---|---|---|
A | |||
arise | arose | arisen | возникать, появляться |
awake | awakened / awoke | awakened / awoken | будить, проснуться |
B | |||
backslide | backslid | backslidden / backslid | отказываться от прежних убеждений |
be | was, were | been | быть |
bear | bore | born / borne | родить |
beat | beat | beaten / beat | бить |
become | became | become | становиться, делаться |
begin | began | begun | начинать |
bend | bent | bent | сгибать, гнуть |
bet | bet / betted | bet / betted | держать пари |
bind | bound | bound | связать |
bite | bit | bitten | кусать |
bleed | bled | bled | кровоточить |
blow | blew | blown | дуть |
break | broke | broken | ломать |
breed | bred | bred | выращивать |
bring | brought | brought | приносить |
broadcast | broadcast / broadcasted | broadcast / broadcasted | распространять, разбрасывать |
browbeat | browbeat | browbeaten / browbeat | запугивать |
build | built | built | строить |
burn | burned / burnt | burned / burnt | гореть, жечь |
burst | burst | burst | взрываться, прорываться |
bust | busted / bust | busted / bust | разжаловать |
buy | bought | bought | покупать |
C | |||
can | could | could | мочь, уметь |
cast | cast | cast | бросить, кинуть, вышвырнуть |
catch | caught | caught | ловить, хватать, успеть |
choose | chose | chosen | выбирать |
cling | clung | clung | цепляться, льнуть |
clothe | clothed / clad | clothed / clad | одевать (кого-либо) |
come | came | come | приходить |
cost | cost | cost | стоить, обходиться (в какую-либо сумму) |
creep | crept | crept | ползать |
cut | cut | cut | резать, разрезать |
D | |||
deal | dealt | dealt | иметь дело |
dig | dug | dug | копать |
dive | dove / dived | dived | нырять, погружаться |
do | did | done | делать, выполнять |
draw | drew | drawn | рисовать, чертить |
dream | dreamed / dreamt | dreamed / dreamt | грезить, мечтать |
drink | drank | drunk | пить |
drive | drove | driven | управлять (авто) |
dwell | dwelt / dwelled | dwelt / dwelled | обитать, находиться |
E | |||
eat | ate | eaten | есть, кушать |
F | |||
fall | fell | fallen | падать |
feed | fed | fed | кормить |
feel | felt | felt | чувствовать |
fight | fought | fought | драться, сражаться, бороться |
find | found | found | находить |
fit | fit | fit | подходить по размеру |
flee | fled | fled | убегать, спасаться |
fling | flung | flung | бросаться, ринуться |
fly | flew | flown | летать |
forbid | forbade | forbidden | запрещать |
forecast | forecast | forecast | предсказывать, предвосхищать |
foresee | foresaw | foreseen | предвидеть |
foretell | foretold | foretold | предсказывать, прогнозировать |
forget | forgot | forgotten | забывать |
forgive | forgave | forgiven | прощать |
forsake | forsook | forsaken | покидать |
freeze | froze | frozen | замерзать |
G | |||
get | got | gotten / got | получать, достигать |
give | gave | given | давать |
go | went | gone | идти, ехать |
grind | ground | ground | молоть, толочь |
grow | grew | grown | расти |
H | |||
hang | hung / hanged | hung / hanged | вешать, развешивать |
have, has | had | had | иметь |
hear | heard | heard | слышать |
hew | hewed | hewn / hewed | рубить |
hide | hid | hidden | прятаться, скрываться |
hit | hit | hit | ударять, поражать |
hold | held | held | держать, удерживать, фиксировать |
hurt | hurt | hurt | ранить, причинить боль |
I | |||
inlay | inlaid | inlaid | вкладывать, вставлять, выстилать |
input | input / inputted | input / inputted | входить |
interweave | interwove | interwoven | воткать |
K | |||
keep | kept | kept | держать, хранить |
kneel | knelt / kneeled | knelt / kneeled | становиться на колени |
knit | knitted / knit | knitted / knit | вязать |
know | knew | known | знать, иметь представление (о чем-либо) |
L | |||
lay | laid | laid | класть, положить |
lead | led | led | вести, руководить, управлять |
lean | leaned / leant | leaned / leant | опираться, прислоняться |
leap | leaped / leapt | leaped / leapt | прыгать, скакать |
learn | learnt / learned | learnt / learned | учить |
leave | left | left | покидать, оставлять |
lend | lent | lent | одалживать, давать взаймы |
let | let | let | позволять, предполагать |
lie | lay | lain | лежать |
light | lit / lighted | lit / lighted | освещать |
lose | lost | lost | терять |
M | |||
make | made | made | делать, производить, создавать |
may | might | might | мочь, иметь возможность |
mean | meant | meant | значить, иметь ввиду |
meet | met | met | встречать |
miscast | miscast | miscast | неправильно распределять роли |
misdeal | misdealt | misdealt | поступать неправильно |
misdo | misdid | misdone | делать что-либо неправильно или небрежно |
misgive | misgave | misgiven | внушать недоверия, опасения |
mishear | misheard | misheard | ослышаться |
mishit | mishit | mishit | промахнуться |
mislay | mislaid | mislaid | класть не на место |
mislead | misled | misled | ввести в заблуждение |
misread | misread | misread | неправильно истолковывать |
misspell | misspelled / misspelt | misspelled / misspelt | писать с ошибками |
misspend | misspent | misspent | неразумно, зря тратить |
mistake | mistook | mistaken | ошибаться |
misunderstand | misunderstood | misunderstood | неправильно понимать |
mow | mowed | mowed / mown | косить |
O | |||
offset | offset | offset | возмещать, вознаграждать, компенсировать |
outbid | outbid | outbid | перебивать цену |
outdo | outdid | outdone | превосходить |
outfight | outfought | outfought | побеждать в бою |
outgrow | outgrew | outgrown | вырастать из |
output | output / outputted | output / outputted | выходить |
outrun | outran | outrun | перегонять, опережать |
outsell | outsold | outsold | продавать лучше или дороже |
outshine | outshone | outshone | затмевать |
overbid | overbid | overbid | повелевать |
overcome | overcame | overcome | компенсировать |
overdo | overdid | overdone | пережари(ва)ть |
overdraw | overdrew | overdrawn | превышать |
overeat | overate | overeaten | объедаться |
overfly | overflew | overflown | перелетать |
overhang | overhung | overhung | нависать |
overhear | overheard | overheard | подслуш(ив)ать |
overlay | overlaid | overlaid | покры(ва)ть |
overpay | overpaid | overpaid | переплачивать |
override | overrode | overridden | отменять, аннулировать |
overrun | overran | overrun | переливаться через край |
oversee | oversaw | overseen | надзирать за |
overshoot | overshot | overshot | расстрелять |
oversleep | overslept | overslept | проспать, заспаться |
overtake | overtook | overtaken | догонять |
overthrow | overthrew | overthrown | свергать |
P | |||
partake | partook | partaken | принимать участие |
pay | paid | paid | платить |
plead | pleaded / pled | pleaded / pled | обращаться к суду |
prepay | prepaid | prepaid | платить вперед |
prove | proved | proven / proved | доказывать |
put | put | put | класть, ставить, размещать |
Q | |||
quit | quit / quitted | quit / quitted | выходить, покидать, оставлять |
R | |||
read | read | read | читать |
rebind | rebound | rebound | перевязывать |
rebuild | rebuilt | rebuilt | перестроить |
recast | recast | recast | изменять, перестраивать |
redo | redid | redone | делать вновь, переделывать |
rehear | reheard | reheard | слушать вторично |
remake | remade | remade | переделывать |
rend | rent | rent | раздирать |
repay | repaid | repaid | отдавать долг |
rerun | reran | rerun | выполнять повторно |
resell | resold | resold | перепродавать |
reset | reset | reset | возвращать |
resit | resat | resat | пересиживать |
retake | retook | retaken | забирать |
retell | retold | retold | пересказывать |
rewrite | rewrote | rewritten | перезаписать |
rid | rid | rid | избавлять |
ride | rode | ridden | ездить верхом |
ring | rang | rung | звонить |
rise | rose | risen | подняться |
run | ran | run | бегать |
S | |||
saw | sawed | sawed / sawn | пилить |
say | said | said | сказать, заявить |
see | saw | seen | видеть |
seek | sought | sought | искать |
sell | sold | sold | продавать |
send | sent | sent | посылать |
set | set | set | ставить, устанавливать |
sew | sewed | sewn / sewed | шить |
shake | shook | shaken | трясти |
shave | shaved | shaved / shaven | бриться |
shear | sheared | sheared / shorn | стричь |
shed | shed | shed | проливать |
shine | shined / shone | shined / shone | светить, сиять, озарять |
shoot | shot | shot | стрелять, давать побеги |
show | showed | shown / showed | показывать |
shrink | shrank / shrunk | shrunk | сокращаться, сжиматься |
shut | shut | shut | закрывать, запирать, затворять |
sing | sang | sung | петь |
sink | sank / sunk | sunk | тонуть, погружаться (под воду) |
sit | sat | sat | сидеть |
slay | slew / slayed | slain / slayed | убивать |
sleep | slept | slept | спать |
slide | slid | slid | скользить |
sling | slung | slung | бросать, швырять |
slink | slunk | slunk | красться, идти крадучись |
slit | slit | slit | разрезать, рвать в длину |
smell | smelled / smelt | smelled / smelt | пахнуть, нюхать |
sow | sowed | sown / sowed | сеять |
speak | spoke | spoken | говорить |
speed | sped / speeded | sped / speeded | ускорять, спешить |
spell | spelled / spelt | spelled / spelt | писать или читать по буквам |
spend | spent | spent | тратить, расходовать |
spill | spilled / spilt | spilled / spilt | проливать, разливать |
spin | spun | spun | прясть |
spit | spit / spat | spit / spat | плевать |
split | split | split | расщеплять |
spoil | spoiled / spoilt | spoiled / spoilt | портить |
spread | spread | spread | распространиться |
spring | sprang / sprung | sprung | вскочить, возникнуть |
stand | stood | stood | стоять |
steal | stole | stolen | воровать, красть |
stick | stuck | stuck | уколоть, приклеить |
sting | stung | stung | жалить |
stink | stunk / stank | stunk | вонять |
strew | strewed | strewn / strewed | усеять, устлать |
stride | strode | stridden | шагать, наносить удар |
strike | struck | struck | ударить, бить, бастовать |
string | strung | strung | нанизать, натянуть |
strive | strove / strived | striven / strived | стараться |
sublet | sublet | sublet | передавать в субаренду |
swear | swore | sworn | клясться, присягать |
sweep | swept | swept | мести, подметать, сметать |
swell | swelled | swollen / swelled | разбухать |
swim | swam | swum | плавать, плыть |
swing | swung | swung | качать, раскачивать, вертеть |
T | |||
take | took | taken | брать, взять |
teach | taught | taught | учить, обучать |
tear | tore | torn | рвать |
tell | told | told | рассказать |
think | thought | thought | думать |
throw | threw | thrown | бросить |
thrust | thrust | thrust | колоть, пронзать |
tread | trod | trodden / trod | ступать |
U | |||
unbend | unbent | unbent | выпрямляться, разгибаться |
underbid | underbid | underbid | снижать цену |
undercut | undercut | undercut | сбивать цены |
undergo | underwent | undergone | испытывать, переносить |
underlie | underlay | underlain | лежать в основе |
underpay | underpaid | underpaid | оплачивать слишком низко |
undersell | undersold | undersold | продавать дешевле |
understand | understood | understood | понимать, постигать |
undertake | undertook | undertaken | предпринять |
underwrite | underwrote | underwritten | подписываться |
undo | undid | undone | уничтожать сделанное |
unfreeze | unfroze | unfrozen | размораживать |
unsay | unsaid | unsaid | брать назад свои слова |
unwind | unwound | unwound | развертывать |
uphold | upheld | upheld | поддерживать |
upset | upset | upset | опрокинуться |
W | |||
wake | woke / waked | woken / waked | просыпаться |
waylay | waylaid | waylaid | подстерегать |
wear | wore | worn | носить (одежду) |
weave | wove / weaved | woven / weaved | ткать |
wed | wed / wedded | wed / wedded | жениться, выдавать замуж |
weep | wept | wept | плакать, рыдать |
wet | wet / wetted | wet / wetted | мочить, увлажнять |
win | won | won | победить, выиграть |
wind | wound | wound | заводить (механизм) |
withdraw | withdrew | withdrawn | взять назад, отозвать |
withhold | withheld | withheld | воздерживаться, отказывать |
withstand | withstood | withstood | противостоять |
wring | wrung | wrung | скрутить, сжимать |
write | wrote | written | писать |