Understand past tense: understood, understood
comprehend
Understand is an irregular English verb: the past simple of understand is understood and the past participle is understood. Learn the three forms together — understand – understood – understood.
Verb forms
Base form
/ˌʌndəˈstænd/
Past Simple
/ˌʌndəˈstʊd/
Past Participle
/ˌʌndəˈstʊd/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · understand
I understand your concerns about the project.
Past Simple · understood
She understood the instructions immediately.
Past Participle · understood
The message was understood by everyone in the room.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I understand he / she / it understands | I understood | I have understood |
| Present Continuous:I am understanding · he / she / it is understanding | ||
Grammar guide
Understand belongs to the ABB group: the past simple and the past participle are the same (understood). This is the largest group of irregular verbs — you only need to learn one past form.
- Past simple – understood: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – understood: after have, has or had (present perfect, past perfect) and after be in the passive voice.
- Questions and negatives in the past simple use did + the base form: Did you understand…? I didn’t understand.
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about understand
- What is the past simple of understand?
- The past simple of understand is understood.
- What is the past participle of understand?
- The past participle of understand is understood.
- What are the three forms of understand?
- The three forms are understand – understood – understood: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is understand a regular or an irregular verb?
- Understand is irregular: its past simple is understood, not understanded.