Word form for understand

Prefixes of understand

  • 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


Suffixes of understand

  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • understandable

    • adjective satellite capable of being apprehended or understood
      graspable; perceivable; intelligible; apprehensible.

    • More ‘understandable’ Meaning
    • understandable Associated Words
    • understandable Related Words
  • understandably

    • adverb in an intelligible manner
      intelligibly; clearly.
      • the foreigner spoke to us quite intelligibly

    • More ‘understandably’ Meaning
    • understandably Associated Words
    • understandably Related Words
  • understandability

    • noun the quality of comprehensible language or thought
      comprehensibility.

    • More ‘understandability’ Meaning
    • understandability Associated Words
    • understandability Related Words
  • understandingly

    • adverb with understanding
      • she nodded understandingly

    • More ‘understandingly’ Meaning
    • understandingly Associated Words
    • understandingly Prefix/Suffix Words
    • understandingly Related Words
  • 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
  • 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


Derived words of understand

  • 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
  • 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
  • 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




Ezoic

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.

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[ uhn-der-stand ]

/ ˌʌn dərˈstænd /

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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.

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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

  • This means they will make an effort to understand the complex and nuanced healthcare landscape and all the stakeholders in it.

  • Let’s focus on hospitalizations for a moment to understand why.

  • By understanding these aspects, you can create relevant marketing content that will resonate with your audience on the platform.

  • You can understand if you’re in Game 6, and someone’s going home, you better be right on the play.

  • Builtvisible creates resources and sustains an active blog to help their clients and potential clients understand what services they need.

  • He appeared to understand however belatedly that he was in the presence of another kind of greatness.

  • Carla points out how meaningful it can be to have people in your life who simply understand what you’re going through.

  • I understand that this is human trafficking, but I know that my people have no other option.

  • Is that a utilitarian approach—that you need to understand how institutions have changed to understand the way they are?

  • If you look at the history, you can really understand why the parties are so divided and why the public is so split.

  • Now first we shall want our pupil to understand, speak, read and write the mother tongue well.

  • He spoke clearly and slowly, well knowing that some among the natives would understand him.

  • Why he did that, instead of walking around on the shore, Jimmy Rabbit couldn’t understand.

  • «Now I have a larger place for you,» the boy said, speaking just as though Squinty could understand him.

  • 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.

Meaning of ‘To Understand’

  • 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.

Better Ways to Say I Understand (Formal Email)

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 lassen dam grammarhow

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?

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Daniel

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asked Mar 14, 2012 at 16:07

Maxim V. Pavlov's user avatar

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.

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answered Mar 14, 2012 at 16:26

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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

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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.

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answered Mar 14, 2012 at 16:25

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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.

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answered Mar 14, 2012 at 16:22

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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

user19045's user avatar

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

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J.R.J.R.

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1

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

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MitchMitch

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2

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

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