Groot might only say "I am Groot," but here's why the Guardians of the Galaxy are able to understand the meaning behind what he says. The obscure group of characters known as the Guardians of the Galaxy made it to the big screen in 2014, as Guardians of the Galaxy introduced the world to Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot. Each of them has gone on to appear multiple movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, allowing fans to see the dynamics of the team evolve over time.

All of the Guardians have changed since their MCU debuts, but arguably none as much as Groot after he died and was reborn as Baby Groot. The walking tree-like creature is a being of few words. Groot only says "I am Groot" but it is unique each time he says it. For most, it is impossible to differentiate what Groot is actually saying, which has resulted in Star-Lord and Captain America thinking he just keeps saying his name. As a longtime associate of Rocket though, the raccoon is able to understand what Groot is saying from the moment they're introduced. But, by the time the Guardians returned in Avengers: Infinity War, the whole team could understand Groot.

Related: Marvel Theory: Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Will Kill Off Rocket

Although the Guardians have translators, these devices are not how they are able to understand Groot. According to Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, someone will only be able to understand Groot by spending time with him. He explained that it is not possible to learn the language of Groot the same way one could study most languages. Instead, someone must connect with Groot on a deeper level. Marvel Comics has even offered a similar explanation, as the Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning run (which heavily inspired the MCU) suggested that the nuance of what Groot says can be heard by listening to the breeze beneath his words.

It's known that it at least takes more than a few months to understand Groot since the rest of the Guardians still couldn't understand him in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. When they are shown understanding him in Avengers: Infinity War, the entire team has been with Groot for around four years. So, it takes somewhere between four months and four years to properly understand Groot's language.

This also makes Thor's ability to understand Groot in Infinity War all the more impressive. He mentions that Groot's language was an elective on Asgard and that's how he learned to understand it. But, Gunn says that this was a joke and not actually how Thor speaks Groot's language. Gunn indicates that Thor can pick up Groot's language faster than the Guardians based on his god-like nature. If Groot is the first of his kind that Thor has interacted with, then his ability to connect with him that quickly and understand the language shows another benefit of being an Asgardian.

Now that all of the Guardians and Thor can understand what Groot is saying, this language barrier should largely be removed in Phase 4 of the MCU. Groot will be back for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and the entire crew, except for maybe Nebula, will be able to understand him. He might also return for Thor: Love and Thunder alongside some other Guardians of the Galaxy. There is the likelihood that Groot will encounter several other characters who don't speak his language though, and they'll need to spend a lot of time with him to change that.

MORE: Thor 4: Predicting The Guardians of the Galaxy's Love & Thunder Role

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