verständliche

Verständliche is a nominalized form of the German adjective verständlich, and in German grammar it can function as a noun. The neuter noun das Verständliche refers to what is understandable or comprehensible in a given context. In practice it is most often found in academic or philosophical writing, where authors discuss what portion of a statement, argument, or phenomenon is accessible to an audience, as opposed to what remains incomprehensible (das Unverständliche).

Usage and nuances

The term is less common in everyday speech, where speakers typically use verständlich to describe something as understandable, or Verständlichkeit to refer to overall clarity or comprehensibility. When used as a noun, das Verständliche can denote a specific part of a text or idea that is readily grasped, or, more broadly, the aspects that are intelligible to readers or listeners. The form die Verständlichen may appear if the noun is plural and referring to multiple understandable elements or to multiple items designated as understandable; more often, authors prefer the related noun Verständlichkeit for general clarity.

Relation to related terms

Verständliche is closely linked to Verständlichkeit (comprehensibility) and to the adjective verständlich (understandable). In discourse about plain language, pedagogy, or rhetoric, researchers may contrast das Verständliche with das Unverständliche to analyze what makes information accessible.

See also

Verständlichkeit, verständlich, Unverständliche, plain language.