To comprehend something is to understand it when it is complicated or hard to hold in your mind — a long explanation, a strange idea, why a person did what they did. It is stronger and a little more formal than understand.

To comprehend something to comprehend something（理解某件事） is to understand it when it is complicated or hard to hold in your mind是指在事情複雜或難以掌握時去理解它 — a long explanation像一段長長的解釋, a strange idea一個奇怪的想法, why a person did what they did或某人為什麼做了他做的事。It它 than understand比understand is stronger and a little more formal更強烈，也正式一點。

A child understands a simple instruction; a student comprehends a difficult chapter. People often use it with not: “I just can't comprehend why…” meaning the thing will not fit.

A child understands a simple instruction小孩子understand（理解）一個簡單的指令; a student comprehends a difficult chapter學生則comprehend（理解）一個困難的章節。People often use it with not人們常常跟not一起用: "I just can't comprehend why…"像"I just can't comprehend why…"（我實在無法理解為什麼…） meaning the thing will not fit意思是這件事怎麼想都想不通。

Though actually the word once also meant “to take in / to include” (a park that comprehends fifty hectares), from the Latin picture of grasping something and covering it. That “include” sense is rare now and sounds bookish. In class, the meaning you will meet is the mind-grasping one.

Though actually不過其實 the word once also meant "to take in / to include"這個字以前也有「涵蓋、包括」的意思 (a park that comprehends fifty hectares)（像a park that comprehends fifty hectares，一座佔地五十公頃的公園）, from the Latin picture of grasping something and covering it來自拉丁文「抓住某樣東西並涵蓋它」的畫面。That "include" sense這個「包括」的意思 is rare now and sounds bookish現在很少見，聽起來也很書面。In class在課堂上 the meaning you will meet is the mind-grasping one你會遇到的是「用腦子理解」這個意思。