to understand
Loading your saved state.
to understand
To be able to understand and inwardly relate to another person's thoughts, feelings, actions, or arguments.
Ich kann deine Entscheidung, den Job zu wechseln, absolut nachvollziehen.
I can absolutely understand your decision to change jobs.
'Nachvollziehen' (to understand) is a separable verb. The prefix 'nach-' comes at the end in a main clause, stays attached to the verb in a subordinate clause, and in the infinitive with 'zu', 'zu' goes in the middle.
Ich ziehe deine Argumente nicht nach.
I don't understand your arguments.
The word consists of 'nach' and 'vollziehen'. Literally, it means to 'carry out afterward' a line of thought or an action in order to understand it.
Können Sie die Schritte, die zum Ergebnis führten, für mich nachvollziehen?
Can you understand the steps that led to the result for me?
The verb 'nachvollziehen' (to understand) needs a direct object in the accusative. You always understand 'something', for example a decision, a feeling, or a reason.
Ich kann deine Frustration gut nachvollziehen.
I can understand your frustration well.
to follow
Folgen and nachvollziehen can both refer to understanding a line of thought. Folgen usually emphasizes keeping up mentally while the explanation is being given. Nachvollziehen focuses more on consciously or later reconstructing and understanding the individual thoughts.
Nach dem Vortrag konnte Nina die Argumentation Schritt für Schritt nachvollziehen.
After the lecture, Nina was able to reconstruct and understand the argument step by step.
Während des Vortrags konnte Nina der Argumentation gut folgen.
Nina was able to follow the argument well during the lecture.
