ldoce_755_zun·der·stand /ˌʌndəˈstænd $ -ər-/ ●●●S1W1 verb (past tensepst and past participleppunderstood /-ˈstʊd/)
1meaning 意思 [intransitiveI, transitiveT]UNDERSTAND to know the meaning of what someone is telling you, or the language that they speak 懂得;理解;明白 → misunderstood
She doesn’t understand English.
她不懂英语。
I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Can you explain that again?
对不起,我不明白。你能再解释一遍吗?
The woman had a strong accent, and I couldn’t understand what she was saying.
那女人口音很重,我听不懂她在说些什么。
make yourself understood (=make what you say clear to other people, especially when speaking a foreign language) 〔尤指在说外语时〕清楚表达自己的意思
I’m not very good at German, but I can make myself understood.
我德语不是太好,不过我能说清楚自己的意思。
2fact/idea 事实/想法 [intransitiveI, transitiveT]UNDERSTAND to know or realize how a fact, process, situation etc works, especially through learning or experience 〔尤指通过学习或经历〕了解,知道
I don’t really understand the political situation in Egypt.
我并不十分了解北爱尔兰的政治形势。
understand how/why/where etc
You don’t need to understand how computers work to be able to use them.
要使用计算机不需要非得搞懂它的工作原理。
How the drug works isn’t fully understood.
这种药的作用机制尚未完全为人所知。
understand (that)
I understand that this treatment may not work.
我知道这种治疗方法可能不管用。
3person/feelings 人/感受 [intransitiveI, transitiveT]UNDERSTANDSYMPATHIZE to realize how someone feels and why they behave the way they do, and to be sympathetic 理解,谅解;体谅
My parents just don’t understand me.
我父母就是不理解我。
Just tell him how you feel – I’m sure he’ll understand.
就告诉他你的感受——我相信他会理解的。
understand how/what etc
I understand how you feel, but I think you’re overreacting.
我理解你的感受,但我认为你的反应过激了。
(can) understand somebody doing something
I can understand her wanting to live alone and be independent.
我能理解她想一个人独立生活。
4believe/think 相信/认为 [transitiveT] to believe or think that something is true because you have heard it or read it 获悉;据信;听说
understand (that)
‘I understand that he was 62 when he died, ’ McLeish said.
“据我所知他是 62 岁时去世的。”麦克利什说。
it is understood (that)
It is understood that the Queen approves of her nephew’s romance.
据说女王赞同侄子的恋爱。
be understood to be (doing) something
Dillons is understood to be reorganising the company’s management structure.
据说狄龙斯正在重组公司的管理架构。
nGrammar
In more formal English, you say it is understood that when saying what people in general believe is true:
It is understood that an agreement will be signed today.
5give somebody to understand (that)formalTELL to make someone believe that something is true, going to happen etc, without telling them this directly 〔不直接说明而〕使某人相信…
I was given to understand that the property was in good condition.
给我的感觉是房子维护得挺好。
Examples from the Corpus
give somebody to understand (that)• He gave up trying to understand it and vowed to harden himself more.• A parting sniff as she left the room gave the gentleman to understand that he had disappointed her.• She gave him to understand that her city was his as well as she herself.• Although I received no officialindication, I was given to understand that I would be promoted within a year.• He gave me to understand that the bamboobeetle would soon be killed off by the sea air.• A friend of your daughter's gave us to understand that you lived in Michigan.• Colonel Fergusson had long since given up trying to understand the business.• SergeantBramble and ConstableQuince very quickly gave up trying to understand what it was that the experts were looking for.
6be understood (that)formalAGREE if something is understood, everyone knows it, or has agreed to it, and there is no need to discuss it…不言而喻;达成共识
From childhood it was understood that your parents would choose your husband.
从小你就知道父母会为你挑选丈夫。
Examples from the Corpus
be understood (that)• The less that was known about the political officer's activities, the less was understood about his responsibility for events.• The first meaning should be understood as the inspiration which has urged the choreographer to create.• The notion of transparent reporting which can be understood by the untutoredlayman is a chimera.• The gifts will rather be understood from the point of view of the sinfulself that seeks only self-gratification and status.• Briefly, as we shall devote a section to each below, these categoriesare understood in the following way.• It is understood that a number of applications for advanceclearance under s 707 for such arrangements have been refused.• He is understood to be on police bail after his arrest on Tuesday.• As such they have to be understood with nuances of influence and control often benign but sometimes narrow in focus.• From childhood, it was understood your parents would choose your husband.
7understand something to be/mean somethingMEANINGUNDERSTANDto accept something as having a particular meaning 领会某事的意思是…
In this document, ‘children’ is understood to mean people under 14.
在本文件中,“儿童”是指 14 岁以下的人。
Examples from the Corpus
understand something to be/mean something• Barmy anyway, which is what I understand you to mean.• Must you really understand duration to be a savvyinvestor?• After a while-it seemed like an eternity-Philip usually acknowledged that he understood what needed to beaccomplished.• We understood his lack of response to mean "no."• Isabel had always understood Faith to mean that she should have it.• Hicksunderstood it to mean Those Who Are.• To understand is to be betrayed.• Homosexuals have as much right to be understood, to betreated with compassionate love as the rest of us.• Accent, tone, fluency and vocabulary can affect the ability of sender and receiver to understand or to be understood.
8do you understand?UNDERSTAND spoken used when you are telling someone what they should or should not do, especially when you are angry with them 明白了吗?〔用于告诫某人应该或不应该做什么,尤在对其感到生气时使用〕
Never speak to me like that again! Do you understand?
别再那样子对我说话!懂了吗?
Examples from the Corpus
do you understand?• I loved him, do you understand?• Oliver I have to be near her, do you understand?• I owe nothing to anybody, not gratitude or anything else, do you understand me?• You are mine, do you understand? mine.• What do you understand of my situation or my mind?• What do they understand of the temples themselves risingnearby?• I am very pushed for money, Alice - do you understand that?• Question, do you understand what it means to terminate the employment at will?
nGRAMMAR: Using the progressive
Understand is not used in the progressive. You say:
I understand what you’re saying.
我明白你的话。
✗Don’t say: I’m understanding what you’re saying.
THESAURUS
understand to know the meaning of something, or the reasons for something 懂得;理解;明白
I understand what you’re saying.
我明白你的话。
Doctors are beginning to understand what causes the disease.
医生开始明白这种疾病的发病原因。
see especially spoken to understand something, especially the truth about a situation or the reasons for something 明白,理解〔某情况的真相或某事的原因〕
I can see why you don’t like him.
我明白你为什么不喜欢他。
Do you see what I mean?
你懂我的意思吗?
Oh, I see!
噢,我懂了!
get informal to understand a joke, what someone says, the reasons why something is true etc 理解,听懂〔笑话、某人的话、某事属实的原因等〕
She didn’t seem to get the joke.
她似乎没听懂那个笑话。
Do you get me?
你懂我的话吗?
He explained the math homework twice, but I still don’t get it.
他把数学作业解释了两遍,可我还是没懂。
nI still don’t get why she left.
comprehend formal to understand something, or understand why something is important 理解〔某事或其重要性〕
The dream was easy to describe, but difficult to comprehend.
那个梦容易描述,但难以理解。
They had failed to comprehend the significance of the problem.
他们没能理解这个问题的重要性。
know what somebody means spoken to understand what someone is telling you, or what a situation is like, especially because you have some experience or knowledge about this 〔尤因具有相关经历或知识〕理解某人的意思,了解情况
‘It can be really hard to give up smoking.’ ‘I know exactly what you mean.’
“戒烟可真难啊。” “我完全理解。”
nWe now know what the scientists meant when they warned about global warming.
follow to understand something such as an explanation or story as you hear it, read it etc 理解,懂得〔解释、故事等〕
The plot is hard to follow.
情节很难理解。
His instructions were easy to follow.
他的指示很容易理解。
to understand something difficult 理解有难度的事物
grasp to completely understand an idea or a fact, especially a complicated one 理解,领会〔尤指复杂的观点或事实〕
Some of his theories can be rather difficult for the ordinary reader to grasp.
他的一些理论对普通读者来说很难理解。
I don’t think Stuart really grasped the point I was making.
我看斯图尔特实际上没有理解我表达的那个观点。
fathom /ˈfæðəm/ formal to understand what something means or the reasons for something, after thinking carefully about it 〔仔细思考后〕理解
She looked at him, puzzled, trying to fathom the reasons for his actions.
她不解地看着他,试图弄明白他为什么会有这些行为。
make sense of something to understand something that is not easy to understand, especially by thinking about it 理解,想明白〔难以理解的事〕
People are still trying to make sense of the news.
人们仍试图理解这一消息的含意。
ncan’t make head nor tail of something spoken used when something seems impossible to understand
I can’t make head nor tail of his plays, and I’m not sure that anyone else can either.
5FREQUENCY 使用频率
Examples from the Corpus
understand• She spoke slowly and clearly so that everyone could understand.• You can only apologize, and hope that she'll understand.• Computermanuals should be written in a way that is easy to understand.• How can I make you understand?• I'm sure if you talk to your boss, he'll understand.• I'm sure your teacher will understand.• A person watching could understand and almost envy it.• I'm sorry. I still don't understand. Can you say it slower?• Unfortunately she doesn't understand English.• Sondra doesn't understandfootball at all.• You don't need to understand how a computer works to use it.• Bateson now argued that the directstudy of variation was the only way of trying to understand how evolution actually works.• I completely understand how things are when money is tight.• I understand how you feel, but I still think you should apologize to her.• Don't worry. I understand perfectly.• The witness said he understood that he was swearing to give true and correct information.• Unlike many political appointees, she was determined to understand the most complexdetails of her job.• Doctors still do not fully understand the process by which the disease is transmitted.• I didn't understand the teacher's instructions.• The second costassociated with producing fundaccountsrelates to the investment of time and skill needed to understand them.• When he's old enough to understand, we'll tell him he's adopted.• We're trying very hard to understand what she's going through.• Ben asked a few questions to make sure he understood what to do.• They understand what we say better than we understand them.• Naturally June couldn't understand why it was that I went on cutting her.
make yourself understood• Dholuo was the language and I knew I was an encumbrance until I could make myself understood.• Hardly a practicablesolution when she didn't even know if she could make herself understood.• Unless people make themselves understood and understand what others are saying, the process can not work.• Ian was the best at making himself understood as he had been a Latinscholar.• We talk to: Express ourselves and to make ourselves understood by others.• I often have troublemaking myself understood in Japanese.• As we will soon see, the inability to make oneself understood properly was at the root of the crisis in Vicos.• When Cardinal Spellman was presiding, he had such difficultymaking himself understood that he had to have some one speak for him.
understand how/why/where etc• Part of understanding how this boundarylayer looks involves under-standing what it is made of.• Their owner says she's sickened, and can't understand why anybody would do such a thing.• I never could understand why anybody would want to daily cut and hack on bodies or parts of bodies.• But I didn't understand why he took the penalty.• Then I understood why he was shattered.• At this time I was at a loss to understand how it managed to hover for so long in the same place.• In order to understand how this happens we need to understand two ideas that are central to cognitiontheory.• Suddenly he understood whywars were fought and how it was with buddies willing to heave themselves on to bouncing hand grenades.
understand how/what etc• They said they understood howbusy I was.• This allows everyone-not just leaders-to understand whatdirection they need to take.• Even a passing reference is sufficient, if readers will understand what is meant.• Once the horseunderstands what is required of him, he should enjoy his work and improve day by day.• When Grandmaunderstood what the man said about wanting to search me, she told me to empty my pockets.• At least it would give them some idea, at least they would now understand how things were.• Paul does not understand how this can be good.• I didn't understand what was taking place within me.