# relate to sth/sb

CEFR B1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/relate-to-sth-sb
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to understand how someone feels or why they do something because you have had a similar experience.

For teachers: to identify with or feel a connection to a person, situation, or idea based on shared experience or empathy.

## Examples

- I can really relate to your problem.
- Many teenagers relate to the main character in the book because she feels like an outsider.
- The speaker's ability to relate to the struggles of the working class made his campaign surprisingly successful in rural areas.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I can relate with your situation." but "I can relate to your situation." — in this sense of emotional connection, the correct preposition is 'to', not 'with'.

## Usage notes

- always followed by the preposition 'to' and an object.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'understand'; while 'understand' is intellectual, 'relate to' implies a personal, emotional connection or shared history.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.