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Today in my JLPT text book, I came across the word `解{げ}す`.

I know that the kanji `解` means "unravel", and it can be read `解{わか}る`, and
with that reading it's synonymous with `分{わ}かる`, "to understand".

When I looked up `解{げ}す` in the dictionary, it also seems to just mean "to
understand" when read this way.

Which made me wonder - why use this reading instead of the usual `解{わか}る`
reading? Does it carry any extra or different nuance?

Is this reading as rare as I think it is, or is it just me that hasn't come
across it very often?
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2012-01-21T10:14:04.837
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2012-01-21T19:42:29.003
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question
word-choice kanji readings definitions
What is the nuance of 解{げ}す？
The only common usages I can think of are 解{げ}せない and 解熱{げねつ}.
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2012-01-21T18:08:12.827
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Moved to answer from comments.

I mainly encounter this in the potential-negative as 解{げ}せない. As opposed to
解{わか}らない ("don't understand"), 解{げ}せない feels more like the speaker has tried
and failed to unravel any kind of explanation, as if the situation seems to
defy all logic - "can't fathom/comprehend" feels like a close English
equivalent.

It seems to come up a lot in the context of failure to understand people's
motivations.

[研究社 新和英中辞典 @
Weblio](http://ejje.weblio.jp/content/%E8%A7%A3%E3%81%9B%E3%81%AA%E3%81%84):

> 彼女がなぜあんなことを言ったのか解せないよ.  
>  We can't understand why she said such a thing.

[英辞郎 @ Space
Alc](http://eow.alc.co.jp/%E8%A7%A3%E3%81%9B%E3%81%AA%E3%81%84/UTF-8/):

> What is beyond our comprehension is that  
>  解せないのは＜that以下＞です。  
>
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2012-01-21T19:42:29.003
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