分わかる

わ

か

る

分かる · godan verb (-ru)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	分わかる	分わからない
Polite	分わかります	分わかりません
Past polite	分わかりました	分わかりませんでした
Past	分わかった	分わからなかった
Te-form	分わかって	分わからないで
Desire	分わかりたい	分わかりたくない
Potential	分わかれる	分わかれない
Passive	分わかられる	分わかられない
Causative	分わからせる	分わからせない
Causative passive	分わからせられるalso 分わからされる	分わからせられないalso 分わからされない
Volitional	分わかろう
Polite volitional	分わかりましょう
Imperative	分わかれ	分わかるな
Conditional	分わかれば	分わからなければ
Tara conditional	分わかったら	分わからなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

understand; comprehend; grasp

usually written using kana alone

General verb for understanding something intellectually or emotionally. Covers grasping meaning, reasons, feelings, or how something works.

この問もん題だいがわからない。
I don't understand this problem.
彼かれの気き持もちがよくわかる。
I understand his feelings well.

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

become clear; be known; turn out

usually written using kana alone

Used when a fact, identity, or truth becomes apparent, often through investigation or time. Common in phrases like わかったことは… (what became clear is…).

調しらべたら、原げん因いんがわかった。
When I looked into it, the cause became clear.
彼かれが犯はん人にんだとわかった。
It turned out that he was the culprit.

interjection

I know!; right?!

Interjection showing strong agreement or realization, often in casual conversation. Equivalent to 'I know, right?' or 'That's what I thought!'.

「あの店みせ、高たかいよね」「わかる！」
"That shop is expensive, isn't it?" "I know!"

See all 2,518 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉が分わかるto understand something (a fact, meaning, or reason)
彼かれの言いっている意い味みがわかった。
I understood what he meant.
〜ということが分わかるit turns out that...; it becomes clear that...
彼かれが犯はん人にんだということが分わかった。
It turned out that he was the culprit.
分わかった、分わかったokay, okay! (casual agreement or dismissal)
「早はやく来きてね」「分わかった、分わかった」
"Come quickly, okay?" "Yeah, yeah, I got it."
〈人ひと〉の気き持もちが分わかるto understand someone's feelings
彼かの女じょの気き持もちがよく分わかる。
I really understand how she feels.
話はなしが分わかるto be understanding or reasonable (of a person)
彼かれはとても話はなしが分わかる人ひとだ。
He's a very understanding, reasonable person.

Expressions

それとわかるdetectable; noticeable; recognizable
分わかり切きったobvious; undeniable; plain as day
物もの分わかりが良いいsensible; understanding; perceptive
物もの分わかりの良いいsensible; understanding; sympathetic
瑠る璃りも玻は璃りも照てらせば分わかるcream rises to the top; true worth is revealed under scrutiny

Kanji

分part, minute of time, segment
判judgement, judgment, signature
解unravel, notes, key
理logic, arrangement, reason

Related words· 7

知しるN5sense 1
知る means to know or possess information, while 分かる means to understand or grasp meaning, so 分かる is about comprehension rather than mere awareness of facts.
理り解かいN3sense 1
理解する is a formal, intellectual term for deep or systematic understanding, whereas 分かる is the everyday word usable for both logical and emotional understanding.
判はん明めいN1sense 2
判明する is a formal term meaning a fact is confirmed or determined (often through investigation), while 分かる in this sense is the casual, everyday way to say something becomes clear.
読よめる
分かる is the general verb for 'understand'; 読める is used specifically for reading or perceiving a situation, text, or person's intent.

Show 3 more

得えるN3
分かる is the ordinary everyday verb for understanding, whereas 得る in this sense is stiff and literary, limited to objects like intentions or meaning.
かしこまりましたN4
分かる is the plain verb for 'to understand', used in casual or neutral polite speech, whereas 畏まりました is a much more deferential, ready-to-comply expression used toward superiors or customers.
承しょう知ちN3
分かる is the plain, everyday word for 'understand/got it', while 承知 is the humble, formal phrasing used toward superiors or customers.

Don't confuse with

分わけるN4
分かる shares the kanji 分 with 分ける but means 'to understand', not 'to divide', so the two are easily confused by beginners.
分わかつ
分かる means 'to understand', while 分かつ means 'to divide or distinguish'; they share kanji and sound similar but are unrelated in meaning.

Word family· 11

分わかり
understanding; comprehension
わかりみ
agreement; understanding; relatable feeling
相あい分わかる
be understood; be comprehended; be grasped · become clear; be discovered; be found out
分わかりきる
be obvious; be clear; be completely understood
分わかり出だす
begin to notice; start to realize; become aware

Show 5 more

分わかり合あう
understand each other; come to a mutual understanding
分わかり良よい
easy to understand; clear
わかりかねる
cannot understand; cannot tell; be unsure
分わかりづらい
hard to understand; confusing; puzzling
わかりにくい
hard to understand; incomprehensible; unintelligible

See all 11 in Explore →

Written forms

分わかるUsage23%
Most common kanji spelling for general understanding and realization senses.
わかるUsage69%
Kana spelling is very common and often preferred in informal writing; usually written in kana.
判わかるUsage3%
Used when something becomes clear, is distinguished, or is identified; often in contexts of judgment or discernment.
解わかるUsage2%
Used especially for logical or analytical understanding, but less common than 分かる.
分わかるUsage2%
Less common simplified variant of 分かる.
ワカルUsage<1%
理わ解かるUsage0%
search-only kanji form

Etymology

Derived from the verb 分く (わく, 'to divide, distinguish'), with the sense of 'to be distinguished' evolving into 'to be clear, to understand'. The kanji 分 carries the meaning of 'part, divide, understand'.