comprender
/kompɾenˈdeɾ/
To comprehend in Spanish is comprender. Wiktionary also lists percanzar and diquelar.
Meaning: to understand (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| comprender | /kompɾenˈdeɾ/ |
| percanzar | /peɾkanθaɾ/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /peɾkansaɾ/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
| diquelar | /dikelaɾ/ (from spelling rules) |
The verb comprender is used to express the act of understanding something. It is often used interchangeably with the common and versatile term entender to express the same meaning.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form diquelar is considered a dialectal variant.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the present indicative, the first-person singular of comprender is comprendo (I understand). In the preterite tense, the third-person singular is comprendió (he/she understood).
How do you pronounce it?
/kompɾenˈdeɾ/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, comprender is used not just for mental understanding but also to describe physical boundaries, such as a park that comprende several hectares of land.
- When a Spanish speaker says te comprendo, they are often communicating emotional solidarity and empathy rather than just confirming they heard the words.
- The Latin root of comprender means 'to seize together', which explains why the word can bridge the gap between mental grasping and physical inclusion.
Examples in context
- Poco a poco comenzarás a comprender el texto sin traducciones ni explicaciones.Little by little you will begin to comprehend the text without translations or explanations.This sentence shows how to use comprender in the context of understanding a text.Tatoeba #496295 by MondCivitano, translation #707428 by papabear
- Las razones que él ha dado son difíciles de comprender.The reasons that he gave are difficult to comprehend.This sentence uses comprender to describe the difficulty of understanding reasons.Tatoeba #6825926 by mervert1, translation #6825923 by Eccles17
- Lo siento, pero mi nivel de inglés es todavía demasiado bajo como para comprender escritos de esta dificultad.Sorry, but my level of English is still too low to comprehend texts of this difficulty.This sentence uses comprender regarding the ability to understand difficult writings.Tatoeba #10460621 by DJ_Saidez, translation #10016861 by Ooneykcall
- Es fundamental entender el problema antes de buscar soluciones.It is essential to comprehend the problem before seeking solutions.
- Es necesario comprender la perspectiva de todas las partes involucradas.It is necessary to comprehend the perspective of all parties involved.
- Es difícil percibir las implicaciones del cambio climático a largo plazo.It is difficult to comprehend the implications of long-term climate change.
- No pillo cómo puedo haber cometido ese error.I don't comprehend how I could have made that mistake.
- No consigo pillar lo que quiere decir con esa expresión.I can't comprehend what you mean with that expression.
Example conversation
Mateo is explaining a difficult concept to Maria.
- MateoNo te preocupes, es un tema difícil de comprender.Don't worry, it is a difficult topic to understand.
- MaríaCreo que ahora ya lo puedo comprender mejor.I think that now I can understand it better.
- Mateo¿Quieres que te explique la última parte otra vez?Do you want me to explain the last part again?
- MaríaNo hace falta, ya logré comprender todo, Mateo.No need, I managed to understand everything, Mateo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “comprehend” translations and entries comprender, percanzar, diquelar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries comprender, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
