Breakdown of ¿Ustedes comprenden el libro?
el libro
the book
ustedes
you (plural)
comprender
to understand
Questions & Answers about ¿Ustedes comprenden el libro?
Why does comprenden end in -en?
Comprender (to understand) is a regular verb that ends in -er. Because the subject of the sentence is ustedes (you plural), we drop the -er and add the matching ending, which is -en. This gives us comprenden.
Where is the word for "Do" in this question?
Spanish doesn't use helper words like "do" or "does" to ask questions! Instead, you just use the normal statement word order and add question marks (¿ ?) at the beginning and end. Ustedes comprenden means "you understand," and ¿Ustedes comprenden? means "Do you understand?".
Doesn't the -en verb ending also mean "they"?
Could I just say ¿Comprenden el libro? without the word ustedes?
Yes, you can! Spanish speakers often drop words like yo, tú, or ustedes because the verb ending usually tells you who the subject is. However, because comprenden could mean either "you all understand" or "they understand," keeping ustedes in the sentence is a great way to make your meaning perfectly clear.
Learn ¿Ustedes comprenden el libro and more in Spanish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free