understand

un|der|stand [ ,ʌndər`stænd ] (past tense and past participle un|der|stood [ ,ʌndər`stud ] ) verb never progressive ***

▸ 1 know what someone/something means

▸ 2 know reasons/effects

▸ 3 know how someone feels

▸ 4 have heard/read something

▸ 5 in linguistics

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) intransitive or transitive to know what someone or something means: COMPREHEND:

If you don't understand, just put your hand up.

The instructions were difficult to understand.

I don't understand a word you're saying.

understand what/where/whether etc.: I don't quite understand where you want me to put it.

a ) to know what something spoken or written in a particular language means:

I'm sorry, I don't understand French.

2. ) intransitive or transitive to know how or why something happens, or what effect or influence something has: REALIZE:

Do they fully understand the implications of their decision?

understand how/why/what etc.: We are only beginning to understand how the brain functions.

3. ) intransitive or transitive to know how someone feels or why someone does something, as a result of experience or by imagining what it must be like to be them:

He says his wife doesn't understand him.

I understand your concern, but the operation is completely safe.

understand how/why/what: Does she understand why he doesn't want to see her?

understand someone/someone's doing something: I can understand his not inviting Joan and Graham (=understand why he does not invite them).

4. ) transitive FORMAL to believe that something is true because you have heard or read it somewhere:

understand that: We understand that a major announcement is to be made tomorrow.

be understood to do something: Mr. Lang is understood to favor more traditional teaching methods.

5. ) transitive usually passive LINGUISTICS to recognize that a word or phrase is missing in a sentence and that you have to imagine that it is there:

The object of the verb is understood with words such as to smoke and to read.

be understood

to be agreed without having to be discussed:

be understood that: I thought it was understood that you were going to help.

(do you) understand? SPOKEN

used for emphasizing that someone should do what you are telling them:

Don't ever try that again! Do you understand?

give someone to understand (that) FORMAL

to tell someone something, or to make them think that something is true:

She's been asking to see you, or so I've been given to understand.

(is that) understood? SPOKEN

used for emphasizing, especially in a threatening way, that someone should do what you are telling them:

No one is to leave before five. Is that understood?

make yourself understood

to know enough of another language to be able to deal with ordinary situations