Мы понимаем друг друга.

We understand each other.

Breakdown of Мы понимаем друг друга.

• мы: we
• понимать: to understand
• друг друга: each other

Questions & Answers about Мы понимаем друг друга.

What does the expression друг друга actually mean? Isn’t друг “friend”?

In this fixed two‑word expression, друг друга means each other. Although друг by itself means “friend,” here it functions as part of a set reciprocal pronoun and does not refer to friendship. So Мы понимаем друг друга = “We understand each other.”

Why is it друг друга and not друг друг? What case is this?

The verb понимать takes a direct object in the accusative. With animate masculine nouns, the accusative form equals the genitive. The second word in the pair takes that case, so we get друг друга (accusative = genitive). Only the second word changes; the first remains друг. Hence: понимать кого? — друг друга.

Does друг друга change with different cases?

Yes. The first word stays друг, and the second word declines for case:

• Accusative/Genitive: друг друга — Мы любим/боимся друг друга.
• Dative: друг другу — Мы помогаем друг другу.
• Instrumental: друг другом — Мы гордимся друг другом.
• Prepositional: друг о друге — Мы говорим друг о друге.
• After preposition на + Acc: друг на друга — Мы смотрим друг на друга.