relate
To find a connection between things or to understand how someone else feels.
Explanation at your level:
When you relate, you connect things. You can say: 'This picture relates to that picture.' It means they are the same or they go together. You can also use it for feelings. If you are sad and your friend is sad, you can say: 'I relate to you.' It means you understand how they feel because you feel the same way.
You use relate to show how two things are connected. For example, 'The book relates to my life.' This means the book and your life are similar. It is also very common to say, 'I can relate to that.' Use this when someone tells you a story and you have had the same experience. It is a very friendly way to show you are listening and you understand.
In intermediate English, relate is used to explain connections between ideas or to express personal empathy. You might say, 'The teacher related the lesson to our daily lives,' which means she showed us how the information is useful. Alternatively, when discussing movies or books, you might say, 'I couldn't relate to the main character,' meaning you didn't understand their motivations or actions. It is a key word for building rapport in conversations.
At the B2 level, relate is often used in more nuanced ways, such as 'relating' information to a specific context or 'relating' events to one another to form a narrative. The phrase 'relate to' is essential for expressing shared experiences in social settings. You might say, 'It is difficult to relate to the challenges faced by people in different cultures,' highlighting a lack of shared experience. It is a versatile verb that bridges the gap between objective analysis and subjective feeling.
Advanced speakers use relate to describe complex causal connections or to articulate deep psychological empathy. In academic contexts, you might 'relate' findings to a broader theoretical framework. In literary or social commentary, you might discuss how an author 'relates' the protagonist's internal struggle to the external environment. The word suggests a sophisticated ability to synthesize information and perceive underlying patterns in both data and human behavior.
At the C2 level, relate carries the weight of its etymological roots—'to carry back'—often used in formal narratives to mean 'to recount' or 'to narrate'. You might hear, 'He related the history of the family with great detail.' Beyond this, it implies a mastery of establishing logical coherence between disparate concepts. Whether you are relating a minor anecdote to a grand historical event or expressing a profound sense of kinship with a stranger, the word demonstrates a high level of linguistic precision and emotional intelligence.
Word in 30 Seconds
- Relate means to connect things logically.
- It also means to feel empathy for someone.
- Always use 'to' when talking about feelings.
- It is a versatile and common verb.
Hey there! Let's talk about the word relate. It is one of those super handy verbs that does double duty in English. At its core, it is all about connection.
First, you use it when you are connecting two things together. For example, you might try to relate the recent rise in temperatures to climate change. You are showing that one thing is linked to the other.
Second, and this is the part people use all the time in conversation, it means to empathize. When a friend tells you a story about a bad day and you say, 'I totally relate,' you are saying that you have been in that exact same spot. It is a powerful way to build social bonds!
The word relate has a fascinating history that takes us back to the Latin language. It comes from the word relatus, which is the past participle of referre, meaning 'to bring back' or 'to carry back'.
Think about it: when you relate one thing to another, you are essentially 'carrying' information from one topic back to another to show how they match. It entered English in the late 16th century. Originally, it was used more in the sense of 'telling a story' or 'reporting'—you were 'bringing back' information to an audience.
Over the centuries, the meaning shifted from just 'telling' to 'connecting'. It is a great example of how language evolves to suit our social needs. We stopped just reporting facts and started using the word to report on our own internal feelings and connections to others.
You will hear relate used in two main ways. The first is formal: 'How do you relate these two concepts?' This is common in academic or professional writing.
The second is casual: 'I really relate to that character.' This is the standard way to express empathy. You will often see it paired with the preposition to. You 'relate to' something or someone.
It is important to note that while 'relate' is quite versatile, it is almost always followed by 'to' when talking about personal feelings. If you are being formal, you might 'relate A to B' without the 'to' in some specific structures, but keep it simple: relate to is your best friend in daily life.
While 'relate' itself is a verb, it appears in several common phrases:
- Relate to: To understand or feel sympathy. 'I really relate to your struggle.'
- Relate back to: To trace something to its origin. 'This problem relates back to the budget cuts.'
- Relate a story: To tell or narrate an event. 'He related a funny story about his trip.'
- Relate the facts: To present information accurately. 'Please relate the facts as you saw them.'
- Hard to relate to: When something is confusing or distant. 'That movie was hard to relate to.'
Pronunciation-wise, it is /rɪˈleɪt/. The stress is on the second syllable. It rhymes with plate, skate, mate, gate, and late.
Grammatically, it is a regular verb. The past tense is related and the present participle is relating. Note the drop of the 'e' when adding '-ing'.
When using it to mean 'empathize', it is an intransitive verb followed by 'to'. When using it to mean 'connect', it is often transitive, taking an object before the 'to' phrase. Example: 'She related (verb) the findings (object) to (prep) the theory (noun).'
Fun Fact
It originally meant to tell a story or report news.
Pronunciation Guide
Clear 'r' and long 'a' sound.
Slightly more relaxed 't' sound.
Common Errors
- Pronouncing 'relate' as 're-lat'
- Stressing the first syllable
- Adding an extra vowel at the end
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
Easy to understand
Requires correct prep
Natural in conversation
Clear sound
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
Advanced
Grammar to Know
Transitive vs Intransitive
Relate (trans) vs Relate to (intrans)
Prepositional Phrases
Relate to someone
Regular Verb Conjugation
Relate, Related, Relating
Examples by Level
This relates to that.
This connects to that.
Simple subject-verb-prep.
I relate to you.
I understand your feeling.
Intransitive usage.
They relate.
They are connected.
Basic verb.
Relate the dots.
Connect the dots.
Imperative.
Can you relate?
Do you understand?
Question form.
We relate well.
We get along.
Adverb usage.
It relates to me.
It is about me.
Prepositional phrase.
Do not relate it.
Do not connect it.
Negative command.
I can really relate to that story.
How does this relate to the plan?
She relates well to her students.
The report relates to our sales.
I find it hard to relate to him.
Can you relate your experience to mine?
These two issues relate to each other.
He relates his success to hard work.
The study relates rising costs to inflation.
Many people relate to the themes in the movie.
She tried to relate the events of the night.
Does this data relate to the current project?
I relate to the feeling of being lonely.
He could not relate his ideas to the team.
The essay relates the poem to nature.
We need to relate these facts properly.
It is easy to relate to the characters in this novel.
The professor related the discovery to earlier research.
She struggled to relate to the new office culture.
He related the history of the company in detail.
Can you relate these findings to the broader context?
They relate to each other through music.
The article relates the decline to poor management.
I can relate to the pressure you are feeling.
The author relates the protagonist's trauma to his childhood.
He related the anecdote with a sense of irony.
The theory relates social behavior to economic status.
I struggle to relate to such extreme viewpoints.
She related the events in chronological order.
The findings relate directly to our hypothesis.
He relates well to people from all backgrounds.
The historian relates the war to political instability.
He related the epic tale with great passion.
The philosopher relates the concept of time to perception.
One must relate the individual experience to the collective.
She relates to the plight of the marginalized.
The report relates the incident to a series of errors.
He relates his artistic style to classical traditions.
It is a story that relates the human condition.
She relates to the struggle of the artist.
Common Collocations
Idioms & Expressions
"relate to"
To feel empathy for
I really relate to your stress.
neutral"relate back to"
To trace to an origin
This relates back to our first meeting.
neutral"can relate"
I have felt that too
I can relate!
casual"hard to relate"
Difficult to understand
That character is hard to relate to.
neutral"relate the events"
To tell what happened
He related the events of the day.
formal"relate to someone"
To build a bond
She knows how to relate to people.
neutralEasily Confused
Similar roots
Relate is a verb; Relative is a noun/adjective.
I relate to my relative.
Preposition usage
Relate is for connecting things; Relate to is for feelings.
Relate the facts vs. Relate to the person.
Synonyms
Relate is more about logic/empathy; Connect is physical/general.
Connect wires vs. Relate ideas.
Phrasal verb
Relate back is specifically about origins.
Relate the story vs. Relate it back to the start.
Sentence Patterns
Subject + relate + to + noun
I relate to him.
Subject + relate + object + to + object
She relates the story to the book.
It is hard to relate to + noun
It is hard to relate to this.
Subject + relate + well + to + noun
He relates well to students.
Subject + relate + directly + to + noun
This relates directly to us.
Word Family
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
Related
How to Use It
8/10
Formality Scale
Common Mistakes
Relate needs 'to' when talking about feelings.
Use the adjective 'related' for family.
Use 'to', not 'with'.
You relate TO a book's themes.
Use an adverb, not an adjective.
Tips
The 'To' Rule
Always use 'to' for feelings.
Avoid 'I am relate'
Use 'I relate'.
Etymology
It meant 'to bring back'.
Context
Practice with personal stories.
Stress
Stress the second syllable.
Social Bonding
Use it to show empathy.
Verb Forms
Regular verb endings.
Mnemonic
Connect the dots.
Academic
Use for logical links.
Flashcards
Use 'relate to' as a block.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
RE-LATE: REpeat the LATE story to connect it.
Visual Association
Two hands shaking.
Word Web
Challenge
Use 'I relate to that' today.
Word Origin
Latin
Original meaning: To carry back
Cultural Context
None, it is a neutral word.
Very common in social settings to show support.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
At work
- relate to the project
- relate the data
- relate well to the team
In school
- relate the lesson
- relate to the text
- relate ideas
Socializing
- I can relate
- relate to my struggle
- relate to others
Writing
- relate the findings
- relate the events
- relate back to the theme
Conversation Starters
"What is something you can really relate to?"
"How do you relate your work to your hobbies?"
"Do you find it easy to relate to new people?"
"Can you relate a story from your childhood?"
"Why do we relate to sad movies?"
Journal Prompts
Write about a time you related to a stranger.
How does your current goal relate to your future?
Describe a character you relate to in a book.
Why is it important to relate to others?
Frequently Asked Questions
8 questionsWhen it means empathize, yes.
No, say 'I relate' or 'I am related'.
It can be both formal and casual.
Use it to show links between ideas.
No, 'related' means family.
Yes, to show they are connected.
Relation or relationship.
Very common.
Test Yourself
I ___ to your story.
Simple present.
Which means to understand?
The preposition is 'to'.
Relate is a noun.
It is a verb.
Word
Meaning
Synonyms match.
Subject-verb-prep-object.
Score: /5
Summary
To relate is to build a bridge between two things or two people.
- Relate means to connect things logically.
- It also means to feel empathy for someone.
- Always use 'to' when talking about feelings.
- It is a versatile and common verb.
The 'To' Rule
Always use 'to' for feelings.
Avoid 'I am relate'
Use 'I relate'.
Etymology
It meant 'to bring back'.
Context
Practice with personal stories.
Example
I can relate to your problem because I also had a hard time at my first job.
Related Content
Learn it in Context
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