Translation

理解する / 把握する / のみ込む

Meaning

Comprehend means understand something, especially something complex, surprising, or emotionally hard to take in. It is more formal than understand. The learner trap is confusing it with apprehend, which can mean arrest in police English.

Examples

• その事故の規模をすぐには理解できませんでした。
  I could not immediately comprehend the scale of the accident.
• この章を理解するには、前の概念を知っておく必要があります。
  To comprehend this chapter, you need to know the previous concepts.