verstaan

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch verstaan, from Middle Dutch verstaen, from Old Dutch farstān, from Proto-Germanic *fura + *stāną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fərˈstɑːn/

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

verstaan (present verstaan, present participle verstanende or verstaande, past participle verstaan)

1. to understand
   1. to hear correctly
   2. to comprehend

      Synonym: begryp

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch verstaen, from Old Dutch farstān, from Proto-Germanic *fura + *stāną, compare Proto-West Germanic *frastandan (“to oppose; to understand”). Cognate with German verstehen; English forstand, Swedish förstå. Equivalent to ver- +‎ staan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vɛrˈstaːn/, /vərˈstaːn/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ver‧staan
• Rhymes: -aːn

Verb

verstaan

1. to understand (language, words), to hear clearly
2. (chiefly Belgium) to understand (an idea, meaning), to comprehend

Usage notes

• In sense 2, begrijpen is more common in the Netherlands, though verstaan is also used. Using begrijpen in sense 1 is uncommon in all areas.

Conjugation

Conjugation of verstaan (strong class 6, irregular, prefixed)
infinitive	verstaan
past singular	verstond
past participle	verstaan
infinitive	verstaan
gerund	verstaan n
	present tense	past tense
1st person singular	versta	verstond
2nd person sing. (jij)	verstaat, versta2	verstond
2nd person sing. (u)	verstaat	verstond
2nd person sing. (gij)	verstaat	verstondt
3rd person singular	verstaat	verstond
plural	verstaan	verstonden
subjunctive sing.1	versta	verstonde
subjunctive plur.1	verstaan	verstonden
imperative sing.	versta
imperative plur.1	verstaat
participles	verstaand	verstaan
1) Archaic. 2) In case of inversion.

Synonyms

• begrijpen
• snappen

Antonyms

• misverstaan

Derived terms

• verstaander
• verstand

Descendants

• Afrikaans: verstaan
• Berbice Creole Dutch: frustan, furstan
• Jersey Dutch: verstâne
• Negerhollands: verstaan, fostó, fóstán, verstaen
• Skepi Creole Dutch: forstan, forestan
• → Sranan Tongo: ferstan, frustan (see there for further descendants)

Participle

verstaan

1. past participle of verstaan

Declension

Declension of verstaan
uninflected	verstaan
inflected	verstane
		positive
predicative/adverbial		verstaan
indefinite	m./f. sing.	verstane
	n. sing.	verstaan
	plural	verstane
definite		verstane
partitive		verstaans

Finnish

Noun

verstaan

1. genitive singular of verstas

Anagrams

• vertansa