Which one should you use?
While entender is the most common way to say 'to understand', the word comprender is often used to imply a deeper, more profound level of comprehension or to grasp the full implications of a complex idea.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America, the informal term cachar is used to convey 'to understand'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The first-person singular present indicative form is entiendo (I understand) and the second-person singular present indicative form (informal 'you') is entiendes (you understand). To express the past tense, you can use the preterite forms entendí (I understood) or entendió (he/she understood).
How do you pronounce it?
/entenˈdeɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not say entender de when you simply mean 'to understand' something. entender is a transitive verb and does not require a preposition to connect to its object.
When do people say it?
A common way to check for comprehension during a conversation is to ask ¿Entiendes? (Do you understand?).
Did you know?
- While entender is for general comprehension, the word comprender can also mean 'to include' or 'to encompass'. For example, a tour might comprender several different cities.
- The phrase entender de is used when someone is an expert in a specific field, such as él entiende de vinos for 'he knows his wines'. This differs from the basic use of entender to grasp a sentence.
- The Spanish word entender comes from the Latin intendere, which originally meant 'to stretch out' or 'to aim'. This suggests that understanding is like stretching your mind to reach a concept.
Examples in context
- Quiero entender a Tom.I want to understand Tom.This sentence shows how to use entender with a person.Tatoeba #2715126 by Shishir, translation #2012148 by CK
- Ella lo quería entender.She wanted to understand.This sentence shows the use of entender in a past context.Tatoeba #1490442 by marcelostockle, translation #908946 by Swift
- Es muy difícil entenderle.It's very difficult to understand him.This sentence shows how to use entender to refer to a person.Tatoeba #1200513 by cueyayotl, translation #1199416 by CK
- Es importante comprender las reglas del juego antes de empezar.It's important to understand the rules of the game before starting.
- No entiendo cómo ha sucedido esto.I don't understand how this has happened.
- ¡Pillo lo que dices!I get what you're saying!
- ¿Cachas lo que estoy diciendo?Do you understand what I'm saying?
- 155 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are studying a complex math problem together.
- SofíaNo logro entender este ejercicio de matemáticas.I can't manage to understand this math exercise.
- Mateo¿Quieres que te ayude a entenderlo?Do you want me to help you understand it?
- SofíaSí, por favor, no entiendo nada.Yes, please, I don't understand anything.
- MateoTranquila, poco a poco lo vas a entender.Don't worry, little by little you are going to understand it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry entender, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries entender, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
