chápu

Chápu is a Czech verb meaning "I understand" or "I grasp," used as the first-person singular present tense form of chápat, which denotes understanding, comprehension, or empathy. It is a common, everyday word in Czech and can indicate cognitive understanding of information as well as empathetic understanding of another person’s feelings.

Chápat is an imperfective verb; its perfective counterpart is pochopit, which is used when the speaker emphasizes a completed act of understanding. Present tense forms are: já chápu, ty chápeš, on/ona chápe, my chápeme, vy chápete, oni chápou. Past tense constructions depend on gender and are formed with být and the past participle, for example: já jsem pochopil (masc.), já jsem pochopila (fem.). The future can be expressed as budu chápat (ongoing understanding) or pochopím (a single act of understanding).

Usage and nuance: chápat is used with clauses introduced by že, or with direct objects as in "Chápu, co myslíš" (I understand what you mean) and "Chápu tě" (I understand you / I empathize with you). It is often interchangeable with rozumět in everyday speech, though chápat can carry a stronger sense of grasping a concept or situation. The verb appears in both formal and informal registers and is foundational for many common Czech expressions of comprehension.

See also: chápat (verbal entry), pochopit (perfective counterpart), rozumět.