Förstod

Förstod is the simple past tense of the Swedish verb förstå, meaning to understand. It describes a moment when understanding occurred in the past, such as grasping information, realizing a point, or recognizing a situation.

Grammatical notes: Förstå is an irregular verb in its past tense. The present tense is förstår, the past tense is förstod, and the past participle (supine) is förstått, used with auxiliary har to form perfect tenses (har förstått). The present passive form is förstås, and the simple past can appear in constructions like Jag förstod och sade tack. The sentence Det förstod man is a common impersonal usage meaning “That is understood.”

Usage: Förstod is used for statements about past comprehension. It often appears with negation (Jag förstod inte vad du sa), questions (Förstod du vad jag menade?), and realizations (Nu förstår jag vad du menar). It can denote both immediate comprehension and a delayed realization after further information.

Relation to related forms: The noun for the concept is förståelse (understanding). The verb få/fatta och begripla are related terms in Swedish, with nyanser in meaning or formality. In other Scandinavian languages, cognates exist: Danish forstå and Norwegian forstå, reflecting a common Germanic origin.

Etymology and cognates: The form förstår/förstod/förstått is part of a family of verbs across the Nordic languages that express grasp or comprehension, with etymological links to Old Norse and Proto-Germanic roots for “to stand” or “to grasp” in a figurative sense. See også for förståelse and related terms for broader linguistic context.

See also: förståelse (understanding), förstålig (understandable), förstår (present tense form).