förstårförstodförstått

förstårförstodförstått is the trio of forms that Swedish uses for the verb forstå, meaning "to understand." The sequence highlights how a prefix can combine with a verb to form a common, everyday word, and how the verb’s tense forms are built from the stem of stå (to stand).

The verb förstå is formed from the prefix för- and the verb stå. In Swedish, the verb stå has the irregular past and supine forms står, stod, stått, and when prefixed, these become förstår, förstod, förstått. The prefix för- remains attached in all forms, and the meaning shifts from the literal idea of standing to the figurative sense of understanding.

Conjugation basics: the present tense is förstår (I/you/he/she understand), the past tense is förstod (understood), and the supine or participial form is förstått (understood, as in perfect tenses). In practical use, the verb is often seen in perfect constructions with har or hade, as in har förstått (has understood) or hade förstått (had understood).

Usage notes: forstå is a common, essential verb in Swedish. Its three principal forms also illustrate how Swedish uses prefixes to extend or modify verb meaning. The forms are not typically separated in standard use; the prefixed form remains intact in all tenses. The word is frequently encountered in education, conversation, media, and writing, reflecting its basic communicative function of expressing comprehension.