entendía

Entendía is the imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb entender, meaning “to understand.” The form can correspond to yo entendía, or él/ella/usted entendía in the third person. As an imperfect tense, it describes a past action or state that was ongoing, habitual, or not completed, in contrast with a completed past action often expressed by the preterite.

Conjugation in the imperfect is: yo entendía, tú entendías, él/ella/usted entendía, nosotros entendíamos, vosotros entendíais, ellos/ellas/ustedes entendían. The imperfect form is regular for entender, which is itself a stem-changing verb in present tense but regular in the imperfect.

Usage and nuances: entendía expresses a past process of understanding, a habitual or repeated understanding, or a background state in narration. It can also convey gradual comprehension over time. Examples include: “Cuando era niño, entendía menos las reglas” (When I was a child, I understood fewer rules), and “A veces no entendía lo que decía” (Sometimes I didn’t understand what he was saying).

Etymology and related forms: entender comes from Latin intendere, via Old Spanish entendir, with the sense shifting from “to stretch toward” to “to understand.” Related forms include entiendo (present), entendí (preterite), había entendido (past perfect), and the imperfect subjunctive entendiera or entendiese.

Pronunciation: en.tenˈdi.a.