What is the difference between "わかる", "承知する", "心得える", "汲み取る"?

"わかる" means "to understand, to know", "承知する" means "to understand; to accept; to be aware of", "心得える" means "to understand, to know, to be aware of", "汲み取る" means "to understand (someone's feelings/intentions), to grasp, to read between the lines".

Quadruple VS

Synonym Boundary: "わかる", "承知する", "心得える", "汲み取る"

All represent the core concept "understand", but require precise selection.

Japanese Option A

わかる

わかる (wakaru)

N5 / CEFR

Japanese Option B

承知する

しょうちする (shouchi suru)

N3 / CEFR

Japanese Option C

心得える

こころえる (kokoroeru)

N2 / CEFR

Japanese Option D

汲み取る

くみとる (kumitoru)

N2 / CEFR

Quadruple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

When expressing "understand" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "わかる", "承知する", "心得える", "汲み取る" based on context.

わかる (わかる (wakaru) - Level: N5): Maps to "to understand, to know" and is used when Intransitive verb. Often used with the particle 「が.
承知する (しょうちする (shouchi suru) - Level: N3): Maps to "to understand; to accept; to be aware of" and is used when A formal way to say 'to understand' or 'to acknowledge'. Often used in business or polite contexts when accepting a request or acknowledging information. Less casual than わかる.
心得える (こころえる (kokoroeru) - Level: N2): Maps to "to understand, to know, to be aware of" and is used when Often used for understanding rules, manners, or proper procedures. Implies internalizing knowledge or having a good grasp of something..
汲み取る (くみとる (kumitoru) - Level: N2): Maps to "to understand (someone's feelings/intentions), to grasp, to read between the lines" and is used when Implies understanding someone's unexpressed feelings, thoughts, or intentions, often empathetically. Not just intellectual understanding, but emotional recognition..

Mixing these up can easily lead to unnatural translations. Refer to the bilingual context cards below to master the boundaries!

Context for "わかる"

日本語がわかりますか。

Do you understand Japanese?

Context for "承知する"

ご提案の件、承知いたしました。

I have understood your proposal. (or: I acknowledge your proposal.)

Context for "心得える"

社会人として、基本的なマナーは心得ておくべきだ。

As a working adult, you should be aware of basic manners.

Context for "汲み取る"

相手の気持ちを汲み取って行動する。

To act by understanding the other person's feelings.

Synonym Mastery Challenge

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "日本語がわかりますか。" (Meaning: "Do you understand Japanese?")

🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "わかる" is correct here because it represents "to understand, to know" in the context: "Do you understand Japanese?".