Today’s Spanish word of the day is “entender”.
It’s a verb that means “to understand”.
The reflexive form “entenderse” can mean “to understand one another” or “to get along with”.
The word “entender” comes from Latin intendere, which meant “to turn one’s attention”, and is also the root of the English word “intend”.
“Entender” is an irregular verb. Here’s the conjugation in the present tense:
- Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes entienden – They understand, You understand (plural)
- Yo entiendo – I understand
- Tú entiendes – You understand (informal singular)
- Él/Ella/Usted entiende – He/She understands, You understand (formal singular)
- Nosotros/Nosotras entendemos – We understand
- Vosotros/Vosotras entendéis – You understand (informal plural, only used in Spain)
Example sentences
Entender otra cultura puede ser un proceso largo.
Understanding another culture can be a long process.
¿Puedes explicar eso de nuevo? No entendí bien.
Can you explain that again? I didn’t understand it well.
¿Entendiste lo que dijo el doctor?
Did you understand what the doctor said?
Ojalá entendieras lo importante que es para mí.
I wish you understood how important this is to me.
Me cuesta entenderme con personas tan testarudas.
I struggle to get along with such stubborn people.
