Help me understand the understands

My conclusion: わかる is an amazing word. I wonder if it sounds weird if you use it casually, like “discern” does. Oh well!

Doubt it. I hear it all the time in anime, which is nothing if not casual. I’d translate one very common usage, 「わかった」 as “Got it,” or simply as acknowledgement (“All right”). Also common is 「わからない」、“I don’t get it.”

It’s the way you conjugate it that makes it more/less casual. Like, 「わかりました」I’d translate as “I understand,” versus the more casual 「わかった」(“got it”). If anything, I think 理解する would be less casual (it’s not used as often, at least), though not strange if used correctly.

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It’s also used a lot in embedded questions. Like in 「お台場駅がどこかわからない。」“I don’t know where Odaiba station is.” or 「甘いものが好きかどうかわからない。」 “I don’t know whether you like sweet things or not.”

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Basically every kunyomi verb has one or more onyomi compound する versions that are formal, stiff, or academic. There are more than just this for understanding.

Is the gif from episode 13?

Btw, betcha can’t guess where mine’s from hueheueheueheheh

not anyone didn’t…

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Nope, episode 20

Holy crap, I’ve heard “わかった” before! Like a lot!

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Is that Yotsuba? :slight_smile: I read the manga when I was younger.

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