The use of the word: comprendre

[graham salmon]

I would appreciate help with this, as I can't move on until I understand (!) it.

Why is it "comprends" in " Je ne comprends jamais pourquoi"? but "comprendre" in " Je ne peux jamais comprendre" ?

I thought both would be "comprends", as they both start " Je ne........"

 

Thank you for an explanation.

 

[Jackie Cann]

Hi Graham,

Comprendre is the infinitive of the verb, which correctly comes after 'je ne peux jamais....'  I can never understand.  When you put that extra bit, je ne peux jamais.... it takes the infinitive afterwards. But 'je comprends' is the first person singular, when you just say 'I understand' (or  je ne comprends jamais, in the above sentence!).

Hope this explains things for you!   Jackie

[graham salmon]

Jackie,

Thank you for the answer. It is becoming clearer now.

Best wishes

[stu harris]

We have compound verbs in English, too, that are constructed with the infinitive:

 

I like TO swim

I want TO learn French

I hope TO travel

 

It's just a kink that we don't say I can TO understand. One of those things that we do to confuse people learning our language.

[Dai Lewis]

in french the subject pronoun i.e. je makes the verb it immediately precedes agree with it, i.e. the verb conjugates, pouvoir becomes peux. The  next verb that comes immediately after the first verb is always in the infinitive (unchanged form) comprendre.

 

[graham salmon]

Thank you. That is very helpful.