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How to Say ‘To understand’ in Japanese

わかる

wakaru

[wah-KAH-roo]

💬 Usage Tip: [わかる] means “to understand / to get it.” Note: it’s intransitive, so you say [日本語がわかる] (Japanese is understandable to me).

🇯🇵 In Japan: [わかる!] is a super common “Same!” / “I feel you!” reaction, not just literal understanding.

Phrase Breakdown

わかる

wakaru

[wah-KAH-roo]

to understand; to get it

Verb meaning “to understand.” Often used as わかるよ / わかります. Note: the thing understood is commonly marked by が (e.g., 日本語がわかる).

Example

気持ちがわかる。

I understand how you feel.

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