VocabularyJLPT N5 · core

分かる

わかる

hepburn wakaru

to understand

Part of speech · godan-verb

Pattern visualization

分part

Show part origins

Show stroke order animation

Numbers4 strokes · 2.7s

See full reference →

Examples

日本語が分かりますか。
Do you understand Japanese?
はい、分かりました。
Yes, I understand.

Collocations

日本語が分かる意味が分かる分かりました (understood)分からない (don't know)分かりやすい (easy to understand)

Mnemonic

分かる wakaru — godan -ru verb, takes ~が NOT ~を: 日本語が分かる (NOT を). Distinct from 知る shiru ("come to know a fact"): wakaru is "understand/grasp meaning", shiru is "to learn/recognize". Social acknowledgment "Understood!" = 分かりました.

Quick check

Which particle is correct: "I don't know this kanji"?