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FRENCH VERB

comprendre

to understand, to include

  • #28 most used
  • Irregular -re verb
  • Past participle: compris
  • Present participle: comprenant

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

  1. je I understand
  2. tu you understand
  3. il, elle, on he/she understands
  4. nous we understand
  5. vous you understand
  6. ils, elles they understand

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

  1. je I understood
  2. tu you understood
  3. il, elle, on he/she understood
  4. nous we understood
  5. vous you understood
  6. ils, elles they understood

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. je I used to understand
  2. tu you used to understand
  3. il, elle, on he/she used to understand
  4. nous we used to understand
  5. vous you used to understand
  6. ils, elles they used to understand

Future

Futur simple · plans; in speech, “je vais parler” is just as common

  1. je I will understand
  2. tu you will understand
  3. il, elle, on he/she will understand
  4. nous we will understand
  5. vous you will understand
  6. ils, elles they will understand

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

  1. je I would understand
  2. tu you would understand
  3. il, elle, on he/she would understand
  4. nous we would understand
  5. vous you would understand
  6. ils, elles they would understand

Present subjunctive

Subjonctif présent · wishes, doubts, “il faut que …”

  1. je (that) I understand
  2. tu (that) you understand
  3. il, elle, on (that) he/she understand
  4. nous (that) we understand
  5. vous (that) you understand
  6. ils, elles (that) they understand

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

  1. tu understand!
  2. nous understand! (let’s)
  3. vous understand! (plural, or formal)

How to use comprendre

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Désolé, je ne comprends pas, vous pouvez répéter ?

    Sorry, I don't understand, can you say that again?

  2. Past

    J'ai tout compris, merci pour l'explication.

    I understood everything, thanks for the explanation.

  3. Imperfect

    Au début, je ne comprenais rien à l'accent.

    At first I didn't understand the accent at all.

  4. Future

    Tu comprendras mieux après quelques semaines ici.

    You'll understand better after a few weeks here.

  5. Conditional

    Je comprendrais s'il voulait rester chez lui.

    I'd understand if he wanted to stay home.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il faut que tout le monde comprenne les règles.

    Everyone needs to understand the rules.

  7. Imperative

    Comprenez-moi bien, je ne suis pas contre.

    Understand me well, I'm not against it.

Good to know

  • Je n'ai pas compris is the everyday I didn't get it; on a bill, compris means included.

Where you hear comprendre

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

French · Beginner Level 1

  • Je comprends un peu plus. I understand a little more.
  • Je n'ai pas compris la question. I didn't understand the question.
  • Vous allez comprendre, c'est facile. You're going to understand, it's easy.

French · Beginner Level 3

  • Je comprends un peu plus. I understand a little more.
  • Je n'ai pas compris la question. I didn't understand the question.
  • Vous allez comprendre, c'est facile. You're going to understand, it's easy.
2
Where Are You From?

Beginner Level 1 · je comprends · ne comprends pas · je ne comprends pas · vous comprenez

Free 15
A Room in Lyon

Beginner Level 1 · compris

Needs a subscription 30
Opening Day

Beginner Level 3 · je ne comprenais rien

Needs a subscription

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: irregular -re verb.