Verb · stem change, e to ie
entender
to understand
The thing that catches people out
entiendo is the word you will say most in your first month, usually as no entiendo. comprender means the same and is a little more formal.
Present
What happens, and what is happening now.
| yo | entiendo | |
| tú | entiendes | |
| él, ella, usted | entiende | |
| nosotros | entendemos | |
| ellos, ustedes | entienden | |
| vosotros, Spain only | entendéis |
Preterite, the finished past
Something that happened and is over: yesterday, last year, once.
| yo | entendí | |
| tú | entendiste | |
| él, ella, usted | entendió | |
| nosotros | entendimos | |
| ellos, ustedes | entendieron | |
| vosotros, Spain only | entendisteis |
Imperfect, the background past
What used to happen, or was going on when something else happened.
| yo | entendía | |
| tú | entendías | |
| él, ella, usted | entendía | |
| nosotros | entendíamos | |
| ellos, ustedes | entendían | |
| vosotros, Spain only | entendíais |
Future
Will do. In conversation, ir a plus the verb is more common: voy a comer.
| yo | entenderé | |
| tú | entenderás | |
| él, ella, usted | entenderá | |
| nosotros | entenderemos | |
| ellos, ustedes | entenderán | |
| vosotros, Spain only | entenderéis |
Present perfect
Have done. Used far more in Spain, where it covers today; most of Latin America uses the preterite there.
| yo | he entendido | |
| tú | has entendido | |
| él, ella, usted | ha entendido | |
| nosotros | hemos entendido | |
| ellos, ustedes | han entendido | |
| vosotros, Spain only | habéis entendido |
Other forms
The -ing form, the form that follows he, has and ha, and how to tell someone to do it.
| -ing form | entendiendo | |
| participle | entendido | |
| command, to tú | entiende | |
| command, to usted | entienda |
In a sentence
no entiendo
I do not understand
¿me entiendes?
do you understand me?