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  1. I didn't understand a friendship between a guy and a girl, but now I have come to understand the relationship.

  2. I didn't understand a friendship between a guy and a girl, but now I have understood the relationship.

Which one is the more natural way to say?

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jihoon
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    You can eliminate the problem altogether by shortening your sentence: I didn't understand a friendship between a guy and a girl, but now I do. Another way to say it: I didn't understand a friendship between a guy and a girl, but now I understand. – J.R. Mar 20 '15 at 09:07

1 Answers1

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You can eliminate the problem altogether by shortening your sentence:

I didn't understand a friendship between a guy and a girl, but now I do.

Another way to say it:

I didn't understand a friendship between a guy and a girl, but now I understand.

Or, informally:

I didn't understand a friendship between a guy and a girl, but now I get it.

If you really want to specify what you now understand, try:

I didn't understand a friendship between a guy and a girl, but now I understand such relationships.

If you want to emphasize that it took you a long time to figure it out, use the tense in your first example, but try changing the adverb:

I didn't understand a friendship between a guy and a girl, but gradually I have come to understand such relationships.

J.R.
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