Comprenden

Comprenden is the present indicative third-person plural form of the Spanish verb comprender, meaning to understand. The form is used with the subjects ellos, ellas, or ustedes. In most dialects, including Latin America, ustedes comprenden is the standard way to say "you understand" when addressing a group. In Spain, the corresponding plural form is vosotros comprendéis, while ustedes comprenden is also used in formal or written contexts.

Comprender is a regular -er verb in the present tense. Its full present indicative paradigm is: yo comprendo, tú comprendes, él comprende, nosotros comprendemos, vosotros comprendéis, ellos/ustedes comprenden.

The primary sense of comprender is cognitive understanding: to grasp ideas, explanations, or language; it may also express understanding of feelings or motives. In addition, comprender can mean to include or comprise, as in “el libro comprende veinte capítulos” or “la colección comprende diez piezas.”

Examples:

- Ellos comprenden la lección.

- ¿Ustedes comprenden lo que deben hacer?

- Este conjunto comprende diez piezas.

Etymology: comprender comes from Latin comprehendere, formed by com- ‘together’ + prehendere ‘to seize’; the sense broadened to “grasp mentally.”

Related terms: comprenderse (reflexive, to understand each other), comprensión (understanding/comprehension), entender (a near synonym with slight nuance).

---