comprendre
/kɔ̃.pʁɑ̃dʁ/
The English phrase "understand" is translated into French as comprendre.
comprendre is a verb used to express the act of grasping the meaning of something or understanding a concept. Notably, in many contexts, comprendre is also used to mean "to include," whereas English uses the words "understand" and "include" distinctly.
Meaning: to grasp the meaning of (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of com- (together) and prendre (to take), literally meaning "to take in" or "to grasp together".
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of comprendre is compris, which is used to form compound tenses such as the passé composé, for example, j'ai compris (I understood).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /kɔ̃.pʁɑ̃dʁ/. It has 2 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not confuse comprendre (to understand) with entendre (to hear), as they are often confused by learners due to their similar phonetic profiles in certain contexts.
Did you know?
- French speakers often use the phrase Je vous suis which literally means 'I am following you' to indicate they understand a complex explanation.
- In slang or very informal speech, if someone says Je pige, they are saying 'I get it', which is a much more casual way to express understanding than Je comprends.
- If you want to say you 'understand' a person's feelings in a deep, empathetic way, French speakers often use the verb sentir (to feel) or ressentir rather than comprendre.
Examples in context
- Je peux comprendre ça.I can understand that.This sentence is useful for using comprendre.Tatoeba #6716771 by Aiji, translation #2301402 by CK
- Je peux le comprendre.I can understand it.Tatoeba #11563395 by Aiji, translation #2301401 by CK
- Il peut comprendre ça.He can understand this.Tatoeba #12143291 by always, translation #11880159 by Amastan
- Je comprends parfaitement votre point de vue.I understand your point of view perfectly.
- Il est important d'appréhender les enjeux avant de prendre une décision.It is important to understand the stakes before making a decision.
- Je saisis les subtilités de votre argument.I grasp the nuances of your argument.
- Comprends-tu ce que je veux dire?Do you understand what I mean?
- On se retrouve au café? – Pigé!Shall we meet at the café? – Got it!
- T'as compris les instructions?Did you understand the instructions?
- J'ai tout compris!I understood everything!
- Elle a du mal à saisir le concept.She struggles to grasp the concept.
- Vous ne comprenez pas l'importance de cet aspect.You don't understand the importance of this aspect.
- 542 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Manon are discussing a difficult text.
- NathanTu arrives à comprendre ce texte ?Do you manage to understand this text?
- ManonNon, je ne peux pas comprendre.No, I cannot understand.
- NathanJe vais t'aider à comprendre.I am going to help you understand.
- ManonMerci, Nathan, je veux comprendre.Thank you, Nathan, I want to understand.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “understand” translations and entries comprendre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
