rozumiej

Rozumiej is a Polish verb form used to issue a direct command or exhortation to understand something. It is the second-person singular imperative of the imperfective verb rozumieć, which means to understand or to grasp. The form conveys a direct, often emphatic instruction and appears most commonly in written or literary contexts, but it is also grammatical in everyday speech, though it may come across as somewhat forceful.

Morphology and forms: rozumiej is built from the verb stem rozum-, with the imperative ending -iej for the singular you. The corresponding plural form is rozumiejcie. The imperative mood, in Polish, is used to instruct, warn, or urge someone to take a particular action or to understand a point being made.

Usage and nuance: Rozumiej is typically used when the speaker wants to underscore the importance of understanding a statement or instruction, as in Rozumiej, co mówię, or Rozumiej, że to ważne. In modern conversation, speakers often prefer milder expressions such as zrozum, proszę zrozumieć, or Rozumiesz, but rozumiej remains correct and can carry a more literary or admonitory tone.

Etymology and related forms: The word is connected to rozum, meaning understanding or intellect, and is derived from the same root as rozumieć (to understand). Related nouns include rozumienie (understanding) and related verbs such as zrozumieć (to understand in a more completed sense).

See also: rozumienie, rozumieć, zrozumieć.