להבין
lehavin
The Hebrew verb for 'to understand' is להבין (lehavin).
The verb להבין is used to express the act of grasping the meaning of something.
Meaning: to grasp the meaning of (verb)
Which one should you use?
The form להבין is the infinitive 'to understand'. In spoken Hebrew, the present tense forms מבין or מבינה are often used to express the state of understanding.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb changes based on the subject and tense. For the present tense, use מבין for a masculine singular subject and מבינה for a feminine singular subject. To say 'I understood' in the past tense, use הבנתי. The noun form of this verb is הבנה, which means 'understanding'.
How do you pronounce it?
lehavin
Did you know?
- While להבין is the standard verb, Israelis often use the word סגור, meaning 'closed', as slang to say they 'understand' or agree to a deal.
- The root ב-י-ן is shared with the word ביניים, which means 'intermediate' or 'in-between', reflecting the idea that understanding is the bridge between two points.
- In spoken Hebrew, מבין is often used as a filler word similar to 'you know' or 'get it' at the end of sentences to ensure the listener is following along.
Examples in context
- זה קשה מאד להבין.It's very hard to understand.This sentence shows how to express that something is difficult to understand using להבין.Tatoeba #6052201 by fekundulo, translation #4012231 by CK
- אני יכול להבין למה.I can understand why.This sentence demonstrates the use of להבין to express understanding a reason.Tatoeba #2306478 by fekundulo, translation #2301404 by CK
- אני צריך להבין זאת.I need to understand this.This sentence shows the use of להבין to express a need to understand something.Tatoeba #2389945 by fekundulo, translation #2387772 by CK
- האם אתה מבין אותי?Do you understand me?
- אני מבין לבךI understand your heart.
- ניתן להבין את העניין בצורה מעמיקהIt is possible to understand the matter in a profound way.
- 157 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Noa is explaining a problem to Ido.
- נועה Noaאתה מצליח להבין את הבעיה?ata matzliach lehavin et ha-beaya?Are you managing to understand the problem?
- עידו Idoלא, אני לא מצליח להבין.lo, ani lo matzliach lehavin.No, I can't understand.
- נועה Noaאני אנסה להסביר שוב כדי שתבין.ani anase lehasbir shuv kedei she-tavin.I will try to explain again so you understand.
- עידו Idoתודה נועה, עכשיו אני מתחיל להבין.toda Noa, achshav ani matchil lehavin.Thanks Noa, now I'm starting to understand.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
