How to use "understand" in a sentence

They spoke a language which I did not understand

I told them our story, but they did not seem to understand

I understand Mr Land."

I saw in his face that he did understand Ned Land

"I don't understand, Captain

I did not understand how such things could be there.

Perhaps it can speak and understand me.'

'Perhaps it doesn't understand English

'I don't understand,' said the Caterpillar.

'I don't really understand you,' she said politely

But she didn't really understand.

And Curtis was always angry, and I couldn't understand him

He immediately started talking fast in a language that I couldn't understand, but he took me somewhere - past all the boats and the beach

I understand a proposed amendment to the Constitution - which amendment, however, I have not seen - has passed Congress, to the effect that the Federal Government shall never interfere with the domestic institutions of the States, including that of persons held to service

This was a new, unknown type of murder, which they could not understand

'No, you don't understand,' he said

'Monseigneur,' said the sergeant, 'do I understand that this man was telling the truth? We found this silver in his bag, and

Madeleine, looking hard at Javert without expression, said quietly, 'I'm afraid I don't understand.'

'I don't understand,' the old man said.

Marius failed to understand the trick, and made the mistake of doing so

The girl could not understand his behaviour at all, and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

'Well, I can understand that

He replied, in a voice so low that she could hardly hear it, 'I don't understand what you mean.'

He understood business, but he could not understand the problems of poor people

Neither could he understand the concept of freedom of speech, and he often sent soldiers into the streets to attack people who were making public protests.

The poor man, unable to understand the kindness and gentle nature of the man he had spent his whole life hating, had taken his own life by jumping from a bridge

He could not understand why nobody could tell him how he had been saved

'I don't understand,' Marius said, almost speechless with amazement.

'I understand,' Valjean said, rising to leave

At first, Cosette could not understand why Valjean refused to meet her upstairs

'I don't understand,' she said, becoming angry

She could not understand why her father, as she still thought of Valjean, had stopped visiting her

'You're going to live! You must live, do you understand?'

"Hello handsome," she always says to me, "another day at the office?" And I never say much, but I do not have to: we understand each other without words

The tall man is silent for a moment: "Who knows? I don't want to understand the mind of these psychopaths

I do not understand anything else that they say, but I do understand these three words, and I smile again.

"You don't understand," Hastings shouts, "it's more complicated than that!"

"We understand that hundreds of local businesses are in serious trouble because of you and this bank," I say

"I'm sorry, I don't understand

"I don't understand a thing he says."

"But I can't understand a word you're saying."

"Oh no, no, you don't understand, Detective

So many, that they are impossible to understand

And for a moment he does not understand.

"No, you don't understand

Do you understand me?"

"Well..." says the quiet voice, "I understand, my son

But in the reflection of the red paint he sees the cop raise his hand, and in the soft evening light he sees the knife, and for a moment he does not understand.

And Owen realises that the boy does not understand what poaching is.

Do you understand that, Jimmy? Do you know how many kids like you come into my casino? No? Hundreds, thousands

"I don't understand it either."

"I wasn't! You don't understand -"

"I'll never understand you."

"I don't understand it." Sala spoke in a low voice

"I just don't understand

'I can't understand you

I began to understand why some people hated the low, angry voice of the sea

I could not understand it

But he will understand when you speak to him

I understand things more clearly now.'

'No,' he said, 'you don't understand

'You can't understand me, can you?'

'I don't understand,' she said

'We understand.'

I can't understand why it sank that night.'

Favell stared at Mrs Danvers as though he did not understand her.

She may understand it,' Colonel Julyan said

Vivienne blinked in amazement, unable to understand what she had seen

"I understand

"I understand how you feel." His smile changed; it was smug now.

"I really do understand, Tina." His voice was reassuring, but his tone was condescending

I understand, and I'm with you

You don't understand me one bit better now than you did when we divorced."

I understand how hard it must be never to know why."

I just don't understand."

At night, the view of Las Vegas from the mountainside was undeniably spectacular, but Elliot couldn't understand what other reasons anyone could possibly have for choosing to live here rather than in the city's older, greener neighborhoods

You understand what I'm saying - the less a guy knows, the less he can be nailed for later

She'd never been able to understand this morbid streak in him

Danny was barely old enough to understand the rules, but he'd never played before

"But if he can send dreams to you," Elliot said, "why wouldn't he simply transmit a neat, clear message telling you what's happened to him and where he is? Wouldn't that get him the help he wants a lot faster? Why would he be so unclear and indirect? He should send a concise mental message, psychic E-mail from the Twilight Zone, make it a lot easier for you to understand."

He might not understand it himself

What would the elder Alexander's, the famous statesmen, think if they knew he'd soiled his hands with blood? As for the fact that it was sometimes his job to order other men to kill, he supposed his family would understand

Do you understand?"

The only way you could understand is if you had the dream yourself

I don't know what's happened to him, and I don't understand what he's become."

"To understand that," Dombey said, "you have to go back twenty months

"If I understand you, the Chinese could use Wuhan-400 to wipe out a city or a country, and then there wouldn't be any need for them to conduct a tricky and expensive decontamination before they moved in and took over the conquered territory."

'I didn't understand what he meant, and nothing happened for a few weeks, so I did not feel so worried

He at least seemed to understand what I said, and told me he would pick me up and take me to my brother's house.

'I'm afraid I don't understand, Commissaire.'

But I still don't understand.'

And I'm very much afraid we shall never understand, unless perhaps your sister-in-law should..

'I can understand that,' I said.

'You are very fortunate to understand anything, Monsieur Delambre,' he said

'But Francois, you must understand

What else could it do but go to others it loves, to Henri, to you - you who might know and understand what needed to be done!'

'Protect my boy from what? Don't you understand? I'm here so that Henri won't be the son of a woman who went to the guillotine for having murdered his father! Don't you understand that I would much prefer the guillotine to the living death of this asylum?'

'I understand, Helene, and I'll do my best for Henri whether you tell me or not

But I still don't understand how it is possible.'

'There are some parts I do not yet fully understand myself,' he said

Knock three times on the door to show that you understand and then fetch me a bowl of milk with some brandy in it.

But then I kissed him and made him understand what I wanted

Now you understand

The police would never understand but the professors would, and they must not! That had been Andre's last wish.

'I can't understand why.'

I couldn't understand what was in front of me.

When I had finished she said, 'I know that I am very often rather stupid, but I really do not understand your point

Do you understand, Vicar?'

'I don't understand,' I said

'I don't understand you, Sir.'

You understand?'

'I understand that you visited Colonel Protheroe the night before his death.'

'I understand.'

'I understand.'

'I don't understand,' I said.

'I don't quite understand.' I said.

'I understand

'You do understand, Len?'

'Yes,' I said, 'I understand.'

You must understand that I heard this from someone who knows the truth.'

There are some things that Lettice will never understand.

For a moment, perhaps, I could not clearly understand how I came there

At the time we could not understand these things, but later I learnt the meaning of these frightening black hills

You can understand the wave of fear that swept through the greatest city in the world at dawn on Monday morning

I knew my cousin was brave enough for any emergency, but he was not the sort of man to understand danger quickly and do something about it

People who have never seen these things can hardly understand how alive they looked.

He ate more than I did, and did not seem to understand that we had to stay in the house until the Martians had finished their work if we wanted to stay alive

Go to bed no later than II o'clock each night and don't read books about things you don't understand.

Can you hear spirits singing sad songs - the songs of those who died in these waters?' he will take you by the arm and say, 'I understand, my friend

I didn't understand what was happening

I tried to tell him how funny it was, but he didn't understand

He didn't understand that his life was in danger.

I can't understand people who are afraid of a little rain.'

There is one thing he must make her understand, though.

'I hope that you and the Count will understand that Laura wasn't herself when she spoke those words

Nobody could understand why Sir Percival had been in the vestry

Her work helps us to understand our world.

"I did not understand it at the time," she said later, "but I believe that little red aeroplane said something to me as it went by." In 1920, a pilot took her up in an aeroplane, and that changed her life

You don't understand, my friend