Razumijevati

Razumijevati is a verb used in Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian to express understanding, interpretation, or empathy. It is the imperfective counterpart of razumjeti, which denotes a completed act of understanding. The two forms distinguish ongoing or habitual understanding from a single, realized understanding.

Etymology: The verb is derived from the noun razum (“understanding”) and the productive suffix -ijevati, forming an imperfective verb. It shares roots with other Slavic terms related to sense and reason.

Usage: Razumijevati describes ongoing or general understanding, including interpreting information, appreciating someone’s viewpoint, or empathizing with a situation. It is used with direct objects (razumijevati nešto = to understand something) and with clause complements (razumijevati zašto, razumijevati kako).

Examples:

- Važno je razumijevati tuđi pogled na situaciju.

- Moram razumijevati kako se drugi osjećaju.

- Ovu poruku je lako razumijevati u kontekstu.

Notes: In standard grammar, razumijevati and razumjeti form an imperfective–perfective pair. The imperfective Razumijevati describes ongoing or habitual understanding, while Razumjeti expresses a completed act of understanding. The verb is used across Croatian, Bosnian, Montenegrin, and Serbian with largely overlapping meanings.