Question 1

Since this lesson is about lo que, how would I use it to say 'I don't understand what the word means'?

Accepted Answer

You can rephrase the sentence as: No entiendo lo que significa la palabra. In this case, lo que (meaning "what" or "that which") is used because it refers to the abstract idea of the word's meaning rather than a specific physical noun.

Question 2

Can I use el significado instead of el sentido here?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. El significado means the strict "definition" or "meaning" of a word, exactly as you would find it in a dictionary. El sentido is a bit closer to the "sense" of the word or how it is being used in a specific context. Both work perfectly here.

Question 3

Just a quick refresher: why does entender become entiendo?

Accepted Answer

Entender is an e-to-ie stem-changing verb. In the present tense, the middle e changes to ie whenever the spoken stress falls on that syllable. This happens for every pronoun except nosotros (we) and vosotros (you all).

Question 4

Is there a difference between entender and comprender for a sentence like this?

Accepted Answer

They are highly interchangeable. Entender is the most common, everyday way to say "to understand." Comprender is slightly more formal and sometimes implies a deeper comprehension of why something is the way it is, but you can safely use either verb in this sentence.

No entiendo el sentido de la palabra.

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