Spanish · Everyday Verbs
"to understand" in Spanish: entender
entender
To understand in Spanish is entender. Say yo entiendo and no entiendo. Present forms change e→ie: entiendo, entiendes, entiende.
Class confusion
Perdón, no entiendo la pregunta.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce entender
Say it
en-ten-DEHR / en-TYEN-doh
/en.ten.ˈdeɾ/
en-ten-DEHR. Yo entiendo is en-TYEN-doh. Stress falls on TYEN.
"to understand" in Spanish: quick reference
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| entender | to understand Dictionary infinitive. | Dictionary infinitive. |
| yo entiendo | I understand Present; stem change. | Present; stem change. |
| no entiendo | I don't understand Beginner survival phrase. | Beginner survival phrase. |
| tú entiendes | you understand Informal present. | Informal present. |
| entendido | understood / got it Past participle / reply. | Past participle / reply. |
How to use entender in real life
- 1Class confusion
Perdón, no entiendo la pregunta.
Sorry, I don't understand the question.
No entiendo is essential.
- 2Checking a friend
¿Entiendes lo que dijo el profe?
Do you understand what the teacher said?
Entiendes is the tú form.
- 3Slow speech
Ahora entiendo. Habla más despacio, por favor.
Now I understand. Speak more slowly, please.
Entiendo confirms comprehension.
Mistakes English speakers make with entender
Incorrect: Yo entender la canción.
Correct: Yo entiendo la canción.
Conjugate with the stem change: yo entiendo.
Incorrect: Yo entendo (missing ie).
Correct: Yo entiendo.
Present needs ie: entiendo, not entendo.
Good to know
Good to knowNo entiendo is polite and common with strangers. Soften with Perdón or Más despacio, por favor. Comprender also means understand, but entender is the everyday classroom and travel verb.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
On a noisy bus
ChatPal
¿Entiendes lo que anuncian?
Do you understand what they're announcing?
You
No entiendo nada. Está muy fuerte.
I don't understand anything. It's too loud.
ChatPal
Yo tampoco entiendo bien.
I don't understand well either.
You
Preguntamos en la próxima parada.
We'll ask at the next stop.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to understand" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to understand" in Spanish
How do I say I don't understand?
No entiendo.
What is the stem change?
e→ie in entiendo, entiendes, entiende, entienden.
Entender vs comprender?
Both mean understand; entender is more everyday.
How do you pronounce entiendo?
en-TYEN-doh, stress on TYEN.
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