Compreender

Compreender is a Portuguese verb meaning to understand, to grasp, or to include. In the sense of understanding, it implies a thorough or integrated grasp of a subject, beyond a superficial knowledge. It can also mean to comprise or include, as in a set that comprises several elements.

Origin and nuance: the verb comes from Latin comprehendere (com- meaning “together” and prehendere meaning “to seize”). In Portuguese, compreender is often contrasted with entender: entender is common in casual speech, while compreender can convey a deeper, more systematic understanding, particularly in formal or academic contexts. The two verbs are related, but compreender frequently emphasizes completeness or coherence of understanding.

Usage: comprehend is transitive and used with a direct object, either a thing to be understood or a broader notion such as a concept or a text. Examples include: “Não compreendo a explicação” (I do not understand the explanation) and “O relatório compreende cinco capítulos” (The report comprises five chapters). In the sense of “to include,” it can say that a group or a set comprises certain members or parts.

Conjugation: as a regular -er verb, compreender follows standard -er endings. Present indicative forms include eu compreendo, tu compreendes, ele compreende, nós compreendemos, vós compreendéis, eles compreendem. Other tenses and moods align with typical -er verb conjugation patterns in Portuguese.

Related terms include entender (to understand), compreensão or compreensão (understanding), and the noun form compreensã o.