comprendo

Comprendo is the first-person singular present indicative form of the Spanish verb comprender, meaning I understand or I comprehend. It is used to express mental grasp of information, situations, or others’ statements. For example, Comprendo lo que dices means I understand what you are saying. The form can be used in questions and responses, as in ¿Comprendes? (Do you understand?) or No lo comprendo (I don’t understand it).

Beyond understanding, comprender can also mean to include or to comprise, especially in formal or written contexts. For instance, La colección comprende diez piezas means the collection comprises ten pieces or includes ten pieces. In everyday speech, entender is more commonly used for the simple act of understanding, while comprender can convey a broader sense of grasping concepts or accounting for something.

Etymology and related forms: comprendo comes from the Latin comprehendere, meaning to seize together. The verb forms follow the regular -er verb conjugation in the present tense: yo comprendo, tú comprendes, él comprende, nosotros comprendemos, vosotros comprendéis, ellos comprenden. The word is among the common high-frequency verbs in Spanish, often taught early to learners due to its essential meaning and versatility.