How Encoder Transformers Actually Understand Language

Title: How Encoder Transformers Actually Understand Language

URL Source: https://pub.towardsai.net/how-encoder-transformers-actually-understand-language-2de2142847a8?source=rss------machine_learning-5

Published Time: 2026-04-27T21:01:01Z

Markdown Content:
# How Encoder Transformers Actually Understand Language | by Cristian Leo | Apr, 2026 | Towards AI

[Sitemap](https://pub.towardsai.net/sitemap/sitemap.xml)

[Open in app](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.medium.reader&referrer=utm_source%3DmobileNavBar&source=post_page---top_nav_layout_nav-----------------------------------------)

Sign up

[Sign in](https://medium.com/m/signin?operation=login&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fpub.towardsai.net%2Fhow-encoder-transformers-actually-understand-language-2de2142847a8&source=post_page---top_nav_layout_nav-----------------------global_nav------------------)

[](https://medium.com/?source=post_page---top_nav_layout_nav-----------------------------------------)

Get app

[Write](https://medium.com/m/signin?operation=register&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2Fnew-story&source=---top_nav_layout_nav-----------------------new_post_topnav------------------)

[Search](https://medium.com/search?source=post_page---top_nav_layout_nav-----------------------------------------)

Sign up

[Sign in](https://medium.com/m/signin?operation=login&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fpub.towardsai.net%2Fhow-encoder-transformers-actually-understand-language-2de2142847a8&source=post_page---top_nav_layout_nav-----------------------global_nav------------------)


[Mastodon](https://me.dm/@cristianleo)

## [Towards AI](https://pub.towardsai.net/?source=post_page---publication_nav-98111c9905da-2de2142847a8---------------------------------------)

·
Follow publication

[](https://pub.towardsai.net/?source=post_page---post_publication_sidebar-98111c9905da-2de2142847a8---------------------------------------)
We build Enterprise AI. We teach what we learn. Join 100K+ AI practitioners on Towards AI Academy. Free: 6-day Agentic AI Engineering Email Guide: [https://email-course.towardsai.net/](https://email-course.towardsai.net/)

Follow publication

# How Encoder Transformers Actually Understand Language

## The evolution of the attention mechanism in encoder only models. From BERT to ModernBERT

[](https://medium.com/@cristianleo120?source=post_page---byline--2de2142847a8---------------------------------------)

[Cristian Leo](https://medium.com/@cristianleo120?source=post_page---byline--2de2142847a8---------------------------------------)

Follow

12 min read

·

Just now

[](https://medium.com/m/signin?actionUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2F_%2Fvote%2Ftowards-artificial-intelligence%2F2de2142847a8&operation=register&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fpub.towardsai.net%2Fhow-encoder-transformers-actually-understand-language-2de2142847a8&user=Cristian+Leo&userId=c24a3d106811&source=---header_actions--2de2142847a8---------------------clap_footer------------------)

[](https://medium.com/m/signin?actionUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2F_%2Fbookmark%2Fp%2F2de2142847a8&operation=register&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fpub.towardsai.net%2Fhow-encoder-transformers-actually-understand-language-2de2142847a8&source=---header_actions--2de2142847a8---------------------bookmark_footer------------------)

[Listen](https://medium.com/m/signin?actionUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2Fplans%3Fdimension%3Dpost_audio_button%26postId%3D2de2142847a8&operation=register&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fpub.towardsai.net%2Fhow-encoder-transformers-actually-understand-language-2de2142847a8&source=---header_actions--2de2142847a8---------------------post_audio_button------------------)

Share

Press enter or click to view image in full size

![Image 4](ht