understands

Understands is the third-person singular present tense of the verb understand. Understand means to perceive the meaning, significance, or truth of something; to grasp how something works; to interpret or infer; and in some contexts to sympathize with or be aware of another person’s situation. The form understands is used with he, she, or it, as in "She understands the instructions."

Grammatical notes: Understand typically takes a direct object, as in understand the concept, and can be followed by a that-clause, an infinitive, or a gerund: "He understands that he was mistaken," "She understands how to fix it," "They understand being patient." The principal tenses are understand (base), understood (past and past participle), and understanding (present participle). It is commonly used in questions and negations: "Do you understand?" "I do not understand."

Usage and nuance: Understanding implies grasp of meaning or relationships, whereas simply knowing or believing may not entail such comprehension. It can also express empathy, as in "I understand how you feel." Common collocations include "understand why," "fully understand," and "mutual understanding." In some contexts, misunderstanding (the negation or failure to understand) is the opposite of understanding. The verb appears across everyday speech and formal discourse, including education, technology, and law, where precise comprehension matters.

Etymology and related forms: The word derives from Old English understandan, literally "to stand under," with the sense evolving to mean to perceive or comprehend. Related forms include understanding (noun) and misunderstand (to fail to understand).