As a computer science expert, I can tell you that the language directly understood by computers is known as machine language. This is a low-level language that is composed of binary code, which is a series of 0s and 1s. These binary digits, or bits, are the most fundamental form of data that a computer can process. Machine language is not something that can be easily read or written by humans, as it is highly specific to the architecture of the computer's processor.

Machine language is the only language that a computer's CPU (Central Processing Unit) can execute directly without any translation or interpretation. When a program is written in a high-level language, such as Python, Java, or C++, it must go through a compilation process to be translated into machine language. This compiled code is then stored in a format that the CPU can read and execute.

In addition to machine language, there is another low-level language known as assembly language. Assembly language is a human-readable representation of machine code. It uses mnemonic codes to represent machine instructions, making it easier for programmers to write and understand. However, assembly language is still very low-level and specific to the computer's architecture. It must also be translated into machine code before it can be executed by the CPU.

The process of translating high-level languages into machine code is typically handled by a compiler or an interpreter. A compiler is a program that translates the entire source code into machine code before the program is run. This machine code is then saved as an executable file that can be run on the computer. On the other hand, an interpreter translates and executes the code line by line as the program is run.

It's important to note that while machine language is the only language that a computer can execute directly, there are many other types of languages that are used for different purposes. High-level languages, for example, are designed to be more human-readable and are used for writing software that can be easily understood and maintained by programmers. These languages abstract away the complexities of machine language, allowing developers to focus on solving problems rather than dealing with the intricacies of binary code.

In summary, the language that a computer understands is machine language, which is a series of binary codes that the CPU can execute directly. Assembly language provides a human-readable representation of machine code, but it too must be translated into machine code for execution. High-level languages are used for writing software that is easier to work with, but they require a compilation or interpretation process to be translated into the machine language that the computer can understand.

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There are two categories of low-level languages: machine language and assembly language. Machine language, or machine code, consists of binary code and is the only language that is directly understood by the computer.read more >>