to understand vs to be understood

Both phrases are correct, but they have different meanings and are used in different contexts. 'To understand' is used when someone comprehends or grasps something, while 'to be understood' is used when someone is comprehended or grasped by others.

Last updated: March 24, 2024 • 2651 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate the action of comprehending or grasping something.

"to understand"

This phrase is used when someone is trying to comprehend or make sense of something. It indicates the act of understanding a concept, idea, or situation.

Examples:

I want to understand the instructions clearly before starting the task.
She couldn't understand why he was acting that way.

Show examples from the web [+]

to grasp the reasonableness of. his behavior is hard to understand. c. : to have ... Articles Related to understand. alt 594938b88b98e. Read This to Get 'Smart ...
Sep 27, 2023 ... Learn how to understand and use the Nutrition Facts Label to make informed food choices that contribute to a healthy diet.
give someone to understand that The Director had given her to understand (= told her) that she would be promoted. [ + obj + to infinitive ] A secret buyer ...
For more than twenty years, his theory of electromagnetism was largely ignored. Physicists found it hard to understand because the equations were complicated.
Feb 5, 2018 ... To understand deep learning we need to understand kernel learning. Authors:Mikhail Belkin, Siyuan Ma, Soumik Mandal.
Monitoring training load to understand fatigue in athletes. Sports Med. 2014 Nov;44 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S139-47. doi: 10.1007/s40279-014-0253-z. Author. Shona L ...

Alternatives:

to comprehend
to grasp
to get the idea
to make sense of
to figure out

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate the state of being comprehended or grasped by others.

"to be understood"

This phrase is used when someone wants to express that they want others to comprehend or grasp their thoughts, feelings, or intentions.

Examples:

I want my point of view to be understood by everyone.
She felt frustrated because she wasn't being understood by her colleagues.

Show examples from the web [+]

'Necessary' usually has to be understood as an activity which does not compete with local service providers.
What exactly is to be understood by trilateral cooperation?
Shoes: this concept has to be understood in a broad sense.
"Vehicles" is to be understood in a broad sense, including all means of transport.
This Regulation is to be understood and interpreted in conformity with the Community's international obligations, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982.
Criminal law is part of each individual nation's own cultural tradition, and it is very difficult to arrive at common definitions of what is to be understood by these basic legal concepts.
And to be understood... eliminated the Salimbeni.
The principle of subsidiarity needs to be understood in its original meaning.
Its work needs to be understood not just by specialists but by any interested European citizen.
- That is the thing, to be understood.
This learned constable is too cunning to be understood.
If she wishes to be understood by a foreigner, she shouts.
Things are too complicated to be understood by one individual.
...Could begin to be understood.
Of course you want to be understood by as many people as possible.
But through the years and a series of special exercises Could begin to be understood.
This learned constable is too cunning to be understood.
There's one thing that has to be understood.
Naturally, it is difficult to be understood in this chaotic situation.
The phrase is to be understood as Mr Imbeni said.

Alternatives:

to be comprehended
to be grasped
to be clear to others
to be perceived correctly
to be interpreted correctly

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to understand vs to be understood

"to understand"

"to be understood"

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