relate to

1 :  to connect (something) with (something else) Few of the people who became sick related their symptoms to the food they'd eaten the day before.

2 :  to understand and like or have sympathy for (someone or something) I can relate to your feelings. I've never been able to relate to him very well. He writes songs that people can really relate to.

3 —used to describe how someone talks to or behaves toward (someone else) How a child relates to her teacher can affect her education.

4 :  to be connected with (someone or something) :  to be about (someone or something) The readings relate to the class discussions. —often used as (be) related to The exam questions are directly related to the readings. .