What is the meaning of this sentence. Is it just like "I understand you", or like "I agree with you". Does it implies only that you´re getting what the other person says or that you feel the same way?
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Hello and welcome. Can you please edit the context of that sentence into your question, and, if possible, add a link to wherever you found the original? If it has to do with medical rehabilitation, it may well be literal. Otherwise, it's likely to be an expression of empathy.– LawrenceAug 6, 2017 at 6:14
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I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because only missing context could (possibly) redeem this sentence.– Edwin AshworthSep 8, 2017 at 18:35
2 Answers
It basically means "I understand you", but it's slightly more nuanced than the literal sense of "I understand you".
A : It hurts me when people assume I'm a criminal.
B : I feel you.
B isn't just communicating that he understands A (i.e. he understands the message that is being conveyed), but that he has personal experience with the feeling itself (e.g. he has thought/felt the same thing himself, or maybe he can relate it to something a close friend or relative experienced)
Therefore, I think the best translation would be:
A : It hurts me when people assume I'm a criminal.
B : I know the feeling.
It's a slang and informal to some American english speakers, it means: "I understand you"
, "I agree with you"
, "I sympathize"
, "I hear you"
, it denotes that you understand what they're saying and more importantly you understand how they're feeling.
checkout: I feel you in a conversation
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1Thaks for your answer; but it´s a little confusing because for me " I understand you " not necessarily means " I agree with you". There is any difference?– ClaudiaAug 6, 2017 at 4:16
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yes, both phrases have different meanings. but depending on the context, 'i feel you' can be used in place of both phrases.– chorngeAug 6, 2017 at 4:20
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1You could say the same about "I know what you mean", which is usually taken to imply agreement, even though that's not its literal meaning. Sep 5, 2017 at 13:24