Question
Updated on
27 Feb 2015
- English (US)
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Dutch
Question about Dutch
What is the difference between verstaan and begrijpen ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.
What is the difference between verstaan and begrijpen ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.
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- Dutch
- English (UK) Near fluent
"I don't understand" is ALWAYS translated as "Ik begrijp het niet".
"I don't understand you" is translated as "Ik versta je niet".
The main difference is in the fact that begrijpen is truly about understanding the concept of what someone is saying, while verstaan is about being able to properly hear and parse what someone has said.
"Verstaan" also has another meaning: to mean. For example:
"Hieronder verstaan wij blah" - "By this we mean blah"
This is sort of a set phrase, though - for "this means that" you just use "dit betekent dat".
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- Dutch
- English (UK) Near fluent
I just noticed, but by "I don't understand you" here I mean as in being able to comprehend someone's words, not understanding their personality or actions. Perhaps not the best example. :P
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- Dutch
- English (UK)
I think the most common meanings of both words are:
verstaan = to be able to hear / to hear
begrijpen =
1) to understand / to grasp/ to comprehend
2) to understand / to gather / to take
Examples:
Ik versta je niet, kun je iets harder praten? (I can't hear you, can you speak up?)
Ik versta niets van zijn speech, want de muziek staat te hard (I can't understand anything of his speech, because the music is too loud.)
Ik begrijp niet waarom je zo onaardig tegen me doet. (I don't understand why you are being so unkind to me.)
De laatste opgave van wiskundetest begreep ik niet. (I didn't understand the last question on the maths test.)
Ik begrijp uit zijn woorden dat hij ongelukkig is met de situatie. (From his words I understand he's unhappy with the situation.)
Begrijp me niet verkeerd. (Don't get me wrong.)
Ik heb zijn bedoelingen verkeerd begrepen. (I misunderstood his intentions)
I think in Flemish, 'verstaan' is also used to mean 'to understand / to grasp/ to comprehend', but the Dutch do not use it in this sense.
In addition, 'verstaan' has two more meanings:
1) to mean / to attach meaning to
Wat versta jij precies onder ...? (What do you exactly mean by ...? How do you interpret .... exactly?)
Davince example "Hieronder verstaan wij blah" illustrates this same use.
2) to know well
Deze tuinman verstaat zijn vak. (This gardener knows his trade.)
De dichter verstond de kunst om deze ambivalente emoties onder woorden te brengen. (The poet knew how to put this ambivalent emotions into words.)
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- English (US)
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