Word
Ja, sie versteht es.
Meaning
Yes, she understands it.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Questions & Answers about Ja, sie versteht es.
This sentence is a statement. How would we turn it into a Yes/No question?
To ask 'Does she understand it?', you move the verb to the very front of the sentence: Versteht sie es? Unlike English, German doesn't use helper words like 'does' or 'do' for questions. You simply swap the subject (sie) and the verb (versteht).
How can we tell that sie means 'she' and not 'they' or formal 'you'?
The secret is in the verb! The word sie can mean 'she', 'they', or formal 'you'. However, if it meant 'they' or 'you', the verb would take the dictionary form verstehen. Because the verb ends in a -t (versteht), we know it must mean 'she'.
Does German use words like 'does' in statements like this?
No, German keeps it simple! While in English you might say 'Yes, she DOES understand it' for emphasis, German just uses the normal verb versteht. You can add emphasis with your tone of voice, but the words stay exactly the same.
What is the dictionary form of the verb versteht?
The dictionary form (the infinitive) is verstehen (to understand). When paired with er, sie, or es (he, she, or it), we drop the -en ending and add a -t to match the subject.