comprender

kom-pren-DERkom.pɾenˈdeɾ

“comprender” means “understand” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:

understand🔊A1Verb

to mentally grasp information

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include🔊B2Verb

to contain or be composed of

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be understanding🔊B2Verb

to show empathy

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understand, get

Also: fathom

VerbA1regular er

infinitivecomprender

gerundcomprendiendo

past Participlecomprendido

📝 In Action

No comprendo la pregunta del profesor.

I don't understand the professor's question.

¿Comprendes lo que te estoy diciendo?

Do you understand what I am telling you?

Comprendieron la complejidad del problema después de leer el informe.

They grasped the complexity of the problem after reading the report.

Word Connections

Synonyms

entender (to understand (general))
captar (to catch, to grasp)

Antonyms

confundir (to confuse)
ignorar (to ignore)

Common Collocations

comprender la lección – to understand the lesson
difícil de comprender – difficult to understand

include, comprise

Also: embrace

VerbB2regular erformal

A large, open, friendly red square box containing an assortment of smaller, colorful shapes: a blue star, a yellow circle, and a green triangle, demonstrating inclusion.

infinitivecomprender

gerundcomprendiendo

past Participlecomprendido

📝 In Action

El territorio del parque nacional comprende varios ecosistemas.

The national park's territory includes several ecosystems.

La propuesta comprende todos los puntos que discutimos.

The proposal comprises all the points we discussed.

Word Connections

Synonyms

incluir (to include)
abarcar (to cover/to encompass)

Common Collocations

comprender una región – to encompass a region

be understanding, sympathize

Also: be tolerant

VerbB2regular er

A high quality simple colorful illustration showing two stylized figures sitting side-by-side. One figure appears sad, and the other figure gently places a comforting hand on their shoulder, symbolizing empathy.

infinitivecomprender

gerundcomprendiendo

past Participlecomprendido

📝 In Action

Mi jefe me comprendió cuando tuve que irme temprano.

My boss was understanding (of me) when I had to leave early.

Debemos comprender la frustración de nuestros clientes.

We must understand (empathize with) our clients' frustration.

Si comprendieras mi situación, no me juzgarías.

If you understood my situation (had empathy), you wouldn't judge me.

Word Connections

Synonyms

empatizar (to empathize)
ser tolerante (to be tolerant)

Common Collocations

ser comprensivo – to be understanding/sympathetic (adjective form)

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedcomprende

yocomprendo

túcomprendes

ellos/ellas/ustedescomprenden

nosotroscomprendemos

vosotroscomprendéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedcomprendía

yocomprendía

túcomprendías

ellos/ellas/ustedescomprendían

nosotroscomprendíamos

vosotroscomprendíais

preterite

él/ella/ustedcomprendió

yocomprendí

túcomprendiste

ellos/ellas/ustedescomprendieron

nosotroscomprendimos

vosotroscomprendisteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedcomprenda

yocomprenda

túcomprendas

ellos/ellas/ustedescomprendan

nosotroscomprendamos

vosotroscomprendáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedcomprendiera

yocomprendiera

túcomprendieras

ellos/ellas/ustedescomprendieran

nosotroscomprendiéramos

vosotroscomprendierais

View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "comprender" in Spanish:

be tolerant→be understanding→comprise→embrace→fathom→get→include→sympathize→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: comprender

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'comprender' in the sense of 'to include'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼

comprensión(understanding, comprehension) — Noun

comprensivo(understanding, sympathetic) — Adjective

incomprensión(lack of understanding) — Noun

🎵 Rhymes▼

aprender vender

📚 Etymology▼

The word comes directly from the Latin *comprehendere*, which is formed by combining *com-* (meaning 'together' or 'with') and *prehendere* (meaning 'to grasp' or 'to seize'). The original meaning was literally 'to seize or grasp something completely,' which evolved into the modern sense of 'to grasp mentally.'

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: comprehendFrench: comprendrePortuguese: compreender

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'comprender' a stem-changing verb?

No, 'comprender' is a completely regular verb. Unlike 'entender' (which changes 'e' to 'ie'), 'comprender' keeps the 'e' in its stem ('comprend-') throughout all its conjugations.

Can I use 'comprender' and 'entender' interchangeably?

Yes, in most everyday situations, especially when asking if someone 'gets it,' they are interchangeable. However, 'comprender' often carries a nuance of deeper, more intellectual understanding, while 'entender' is more common for basic communication.