un
ders
tand
Third Person
understands
Present Participle
understanding
Past Tense
understood
Past Participle
understood
1
to know something's meaning, particularly something that someone says
transitive
- Can you help me understand this equation?
- She has a unique way of explaining things that makes it easy to understand complex topics.
- He didn't understand the contract he was agreeing to.
- The poor audio quality made the speaker difficult to understand.
- After reading the explanation a few times, I finally understand the concept.
2
to comprehend the significance of or the logic or reason behind something
transitive
- He finally understands the importance of saving money.
- It's difficult to understand his motives for quitting his job.
- Scientists are still trying to understand the mysteries of the universe.
- She couldn't understand why he was upset.
- When you see the evidence, it's easy to understand why they reached that conclusion.
3
to comprehend the significance of or the logic or reason behind something
- Doctors still don't understand much about the disease.
- I could never understand why she was fired.
- I fully understand the reason for your decision.
- It is easy to understand how he made this mistake.
- No one is answering the phone—I can't understand it.