understanding
das Verstehen
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understanding
The mental grasp and comprehension of something, such as a statement, a text, or a connection.
Das Verstehen des schwierigen Textes fiel ihr zunächst schwer.
Understanding the difficult text was initially hard for her.
understanding
The ability or willingness to understand another person's feelings, thoughts, or reasons and show empathy for them.
In einer guten Freundschaft sind Vertrauen und gegenseitiges Verstehen besonders wichtig.
In a good friendship, trust and mutual understanding are especially important.
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| genitive | des Verstehens |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Verstehen | – |
| accusative | das Verstehen | – |
| dative | dem Verstehen | – |
| genitive | des Verstehens | – |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
'Das Verstehen' (understanding) is a nominalized infinitive and refers to the process or ability of understanding. It can be followed directly by a genitive attribute or a von prepositional phrase that specifies the content in more detail.
Das Verstehen eines langen Fachtextes braucht viel Konzentration.
Understanding a long specialized text requires a lot of concentration.
Das Verstehen von politischen Zusammenhängen fällt vielen Menschen schwer.
Understanding political connections is difficult for many people.
In the sense of mentally grasping something, 'Verstehen' (understanding) is often used with texts, statements, connections, or explanations. Common collocations include 'schwerfallen' (to be difficult), 'erleichtern' (to facilitate), and 'fördern' (to promote).
Bilder können das Verstehen komplizierter Erklärungen erleichtern.
Pictures can make understanding complicated explanations easier.
The meaning related to human relationships can often be recognized from phrases such as 'gegenseitiges Verstehen' (mutual understanding) or 'emotionales Verstehen' (emotional understanding). This usually involves understanding feelings and personal reasons.
Gegenseitiges Verstehen hilft einem Paar auch in schwierigen Zeiten.
Mutual understanding helps a couple even during difficult times.
