Meaning and Usage
The German verb glauben means to believe or to think. It is commonly used when expressing personal belief, opinions, or assumptions. Unlike the English "believe," glauben can also imply “to think” or “to suppose” in certain contexts.
Verb Type
Glauben is a regular verb but shows slight irregularity in the past tense. It is often used with the dative case when referring to people, e.g., Ich glaube dir (I believe you).
Present Tense Conjugation
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Conjugation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | glaube | I believe | Ich glaube an dich. | I believe in you. |
| du | glaubst | you believe (informal) | Du glaubst, dass es regnet. | You believe that it is raining. |
| er/sie/es | glaubt | he/she/it believes | Er glaubt an Gott. | He believes in God. |
| wir | glauben | we believe | Wir glauben an die Zukunft. | We believe in the future. |
| ihr | glaubt | you all believe | Ihr glaubt an eure Freunde. | You all believe in your friends. |
| sie/Sie | glauben | they/you (formal) believe | Sie glauben an das Gute. | They believe in the good. |
Past Tense Conjugation (Präteritum)
In the simple past, glauben follows a regular pattern but changes the stem vowel slightly.
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Conjugation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | glaubte | I believed | Ich glaubte dir nicht. | I did not believe you. |
| du | glaubtest | you believed (informal) | Du glaubtest an Wunder. | You believed in miracles. |
| er/sie/es | glaubte | he/she/it believed | Sie glaubte ihm sofort. | She believed him immediately. |
| wir | glaubten | we believed | Wir glaubten an Glück. | We believed in luck. |
| ihr | glaubtet | you all believed | Ihr glaubtet alles. | You all believed everything. |
| sie/Sie | glaubten | they/you (formal) believed | Sie glaubten an die Idee. | They believed in the idea. |
Usage Notes
When saying glauben an + accusative, you express belief in something (like a concept or person). When used with a dative pronoun, it means to believe somebody personally. In speech, glauben can soften statements, e.g., Ich glaube, er kommt später — "I think he will come later."
Related Phrases
- Ich glaube nicht – I don't believe
- Glaubst du das? – Do you believe that?
- Wir glauben an dich – We believe in you
These expressions are frequently used in everyday German.
Summary
The verb glauben is essential for discussing beliefs and opinions in German. Its regular conjugation patterns make it easy to learn, and its versatile meaning enriches communication about thoughts and convictions.
