To relate means to show or have a connection between two things; to tell or give an account of a story or event; or to understand and identify with another person's feelings or experiences.
What Does Relate Mean?
Relate comes from the Latin relatus, the past participle of referre — meaning "to carry back" or "to report". It entered English in the 16th century and originally meant simply to narrate or recount. Over time, the sense of "having a connection" developed, and in the 20th century the informal empathy sense ("I can relate") emerged in everyday speech.
Today, relate is used in three distinct ways. First, it can express a logical or thematic link between ideas: "These two problems relate to each other." Second, it can mean to tell an account of something: "She related the whole incident to her manager." Third — and this is the most common informal use — it means to feel that you understand someone else's experience: "I can really relate to that." Knowing which meaning is intended from context is an important skill for B1–C1 learners.
Note that relate to (connection or empathy) is intransitive and requires the preposition to, whereas relate meaning "to narrate" is transitive and takes a direct object. Both constructions appear in IELTS, Cambridge, and academic texts, so familiarity with all three uses is valuable.
Example Sentences by CEFR Level
| Sentence | Level & usage note |
|---|---|
| I can relate to your problem — I had the same one last year. | A2 — informal empathy; everyday speech |
| She could relate to the difficulties described in the reading passage. | B1 — relate to + noun phrase; IELTS-style context |
| The teacher related a short story about a student who had overcome the same fear. | B1 — transitive: relate + object (narrate) |
| The rise in stress levels is closely related to increased screen time among teenagers. | B2 — passive "be related to"; academic register |
| The subsequent chapter relates these initial findings back to the broader theoretical framework established in the introduction. | C1 — formal academic; "relate back to" colocation |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| closely relate to | Air quality closely relates to respiratory health outcomes. |
| directly relate to | Your score directly relates to the amount of time you practise. |
| relate back to | The author relates the argument back to her opening thesis. |
| relate well to | Good teachers relate well to young learners. |
| relate an experience | He related his experience of living abroad to the class. |
| relate a story / account | She related a story about her grandmother's childhood. |
| be related to | Many health problems are related to poor diet. |
| relate to the topic | Please ensure your answer relates to the topic given. |
| unable to relate to | He felt unable to relate to the characters in the novel. |
| relate findings | The report relates the findings to current policy priorities. |
Usage Notes
Three Meanings — Three Structures
1. Connection (intransitive + to): Use relate to to express a logical or thematic link. The subject is one thing; the object of to is the thing it connects with. "This section relates to the previous chapter." Common in academic and professional writing.
2. Narrate (transitive): Use relate with a direct object to mean "tell or recount". "She related the events of the evening." This sense is slightly formal and more common in written English than in everyday speech.
3. Empathise (intransitive + to): Use relate to to mean "understand from personal experience". "I can really relate to that feeling." This is the most common informal use and is very frequent in conversation and social media. It can also appear without to when the context is clear: "I can relate."
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
These two issues relate with each other.
These two issues relate to each other. (use to, not with)
I relate the story to my brother. (when meaning "I can empathise")
I can relate to my brother's situation. (empathy sense always needs can relate to + noun)
The problem is relating to the lack of funding. (continuous form for a permanent fact)
The problem relates to the lack of funding. (use simple present for facts and general connections)