わかる

Japanese

Etymology 1

Alternative spellings
分かる 分る (dated) 解る 判る 理解る (uncommon)

From Old Japanese. Derived as the passive or intransitive conjugation of Old Japanese root verb 分く (waku, “to separate, to break into pieces; to be separable or distinguishable”). Compare transitive 分(わ)ける (wakeru).

As the passive or spontaneous conjugation of waku, the verb wakaru could be translated more directly as something like "it comes apart [for me / he / she / etc.]", roughly analogous to English "I can see how it comes apart" → "I can see how it is put together".

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) わかる [wàkáꜜrù] (Nakadaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [β̞a̠ka̠ɾɯ̟]

Verb

わかる • (wakaru) intransitive godan (stem わかり (wakari), past わかった (wakatta))

1. 分かる, 解る: to be understandable, to understand

   はい、分(わ)かりました。

   Hai, wakarimashita.

   Yes. I understood.

2. 分かる: to tell (one thing from another), to distinguish
3. 分かる, 判る: to be recognized, to be realized
   • 2011, Barack Obama, 中東と北アフリカに関するバラク・オバマの演説, translation of "Remarks by the President on the Middle East and North Africa":

     これがどれほど困(こん)難(なん)であるかは判(わか)っている。

     Kore ga dore hodo konnan de aru ka wa wakatte iru.

     I recognize how hard this will be.

4. 分かる: to become known, to turn out

   分(わ)かった！

   Wakatta!

   I've got it! / I know!

Usage notes

In recent usage, this term may be more commonly spelt in hiragana.

The Japanese verb wakaru is most often glossed as to understand. However, wakaru is intransitive, and it takes the thing that is understood, distinguished, or recognized as the subject (usually marked by particle が (ga)), and not the object (usually marked by particle を (o)). Strictly speaking, wakaru is thus closer to English to be understandable, as the verb wakaru describes the thing itself, unlike English to understand, which describes the action of the person doing the understanding, distinguishing, or recognizing.

Despite the above, the form with を and transitive usage also exists, although this may be proscribed, and is not reflected in some dictionaries.

Wakaru can take an agent (what would be the subject of the English verb to understand) marked by the particle に (ni) or a topic marker.

• *私が分かる (incorrect, ❌)
• 私に分かる (correct, ✔)
• 複(ふく)雑(ざつ)でも、（私(わたし)に）この事(じ)情(じょう)が分(わ)かる。

  Fukuzatsu de mo, (watashi ni) kono jijō ga wakaru.

  Although it's complicated, this situation is understandable (to me).

Compare the difference in usage of transitive verb 知る (shiru, “to know”).

Conjugation

Conjugation of "わかる" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	わから	wakara
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	わかり	wakari
Shūshikei ("terminal")	わかる	wakaru
Rentaikei ("attributive")	わかる	wakaru
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	わかれ	wakare
Meireikei ("imperative")	わかれ	wakare
Key constructions
Passive	わかられる	wakarareru
Causative	わからせる わからす	wakaraseru wakarasu
Potential	わかれる	wakareru
Volitional	わかろう	wakarō
Negative	わからない	wakaranai
Negative continuative	わからず	wakarazu
Formal	わかります	wakarimasu
Perfective	わかった	wakatta
Conjunctive	わかって	wakatte
Hypothetical conditional	わかれば	wakareba

Classical conjugation of "わかる" (ラ行四段活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	わから		wakara
Continuative (連用形)	わかり		wakari
Terminal (終止形)	わかる		wakaru
Attributive (連体形)	わかる		wakaru
Realis (已然形)	わかれ		wakare
Imperative (命令形)	わかれ		wakare
Key constructions
Negative	わからず		wakarazu
Contrasting conjunction	わかれど		wakaredo
Causal conjunction	わかれば		wakareba
Conditional conjunction	わからば		wakaraba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	わかりき		wakariki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	わかりけり		wakarikeri
Perfect tense (conscious action)	わかりつ		wakaritu
Perfect tense (natural event)	わかりぬ		wakarinu
Perfect-continuative tense	わかれり わかりたり		wakareri wakaritari
Volitional	わからむ		wakaramu

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 分(わ)からず屋(や) (wakarazuya)
• 分(わ)かり切(き)る (wakarikiru): to be completely clear by common knowledge
• 相分(あいわ)かる (aiwakaru)

Related terms

Related terms

• 分(わ)ける (wakeru): to divide, to split things up, to separate, to classify, to sort out; to split something; to share something (by breaking it into parts)
• 訳(わけ) (wake): reason for something
• 脇(わき) (waki): the side of something (especially a side branch or limb that separates from a main body or trunk); armpit

Etymology 2

Alternative spellings
分かる 別る 分る (dated)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [β̞a̠ka̠ɾɯ̟]

Verb

わかる • (wakaru) ^†nidan

1. Classical Japanese form of わかれる (wakareru): to split, to fork, to branch off

Conjugation

Classical conjugation of "わかる" (ラ行下二段活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	わかれ		wakare
Continuative (連用形)	わかれ		wakare
Terminal (終止形)	わかる		wakaru
Attributive (連体形)	わかるる		wakaruru
Realis (已然形)	わかるれ		wakarure
Imperative (命令形)	わかれよ		wakareyo
Key constructions
Negative	わかれず		wakarezu
Contrasting conjunction	わかるれど		wakaruredo
Causal conjunction	わかるれば		wakarureba
Conditional conjunction	わかれば		wakareba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	わかれき		wakareki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	わかれけり		wakarekeri
Perfect tense (conscious action)	わかれつ		wakaretu
Perfect tense (natural event)	わかれぬ		wakarenu
Perfect-continuative tense	わかれたり		wakaretari
Volitional	わかれむ		wakaremu

Derived terms

• 分(わ)かれる (wakareru)
• 別(わか)れる (wakareru)

See also

• 分(わ)ける (wakeru)