Entendí

Entendí is the first-person singular form in the preterite indicative of entender, a Spanish verb meaning to understand, grasp, or comprehend something. The preterite conveys a completed action in the past, so entendí indicates that the speaker understood something at a particular moment.

Conjugation and usage notes: entender is a stem-changing verb in the present tense (e:ie), but in the preterite it uses the regular endings with the stem entend-: entendí, entendiste, entendió, entendimos, entendisteis, entendieron. The form entendí is used precisely to indicate a past moment of understanding. It is common in narrative and conversation to signal that comprehension occurred and sometimes to introduce what was understood.

Nuance and contexts: Entendí can express both literal understanding and realization. It is often interchangeable with comprender in everyday speech, though entender is generally broader and more colloquial. Phrases such as “Entendí por qué” (I understood why) or “Ya entendí” (I got it now) are typical. In contrast, phrases like “Comprendí” tend to imply a deeper or more complete grasp in some contexts, but the distinction is subtle and context-dependent.

Etymology and related forms: Entender derives from Latin intendere, via Old Spanish understanding of “to aim toward” or “to stretch toward,” evolving into the sense of directing one’s mind toward something. Related terms include entender (the infinitive), comprender (to comprehend), and the noun entendimiento (understanding).

Examples: Entendí la explicación después de leerla dos veces. ¿Entendiste lo que dijo? Ya entendí. These illustrate the typical past-tense usage of the verb in everyday Spanish.