glauben
/ˈɡlaʊbn/
to believe
- Expresses belief, faith, or opinion.
- Used for both factual belief and personal opinion.
- Can be used with people (as dative) who hold the belief.
- Often interchangeable with meinen (to think/express an opinion) in some contexts.
Conjugation Overview
glauben is a regular verb with typical -en endings.
| Person | Present | Simple Past | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | glaube | glaubte | geglaubt |
| du | glaubst | glaubtest | geglaubt |
| er/sie/es | glaubt | glaubte | geglaubt |
| wir | glauben | glaubten | geglaubt |
| ihr | glaubt | glaubtet | geglaubt |
| sie/Sie | glauben | glaubten | geglaubt |
- Present: ich glaube, du glaubst, er/sie/es glaubt, wir glauben, ihr glaubt, sie glauben
- Simple Past: ich glaubte, du glaubtest, er/sie/es glaubte, wir glaubten, ihr glaubtet, sie glaubten
- Past Participle: geglaubt (used with haben for perfect: ich habe geglaubt)
Meaning and Usage
glauben is used when expressing what you believe is true, or your personal conviction. It can refer to:
- Believing facts or information (Ich glaube, das stimmt. – I believe that's correct.)
- Having faith, often in a religious sense (Viele Menschen glauben an Gott. – Many people believe in God.)
- Giving an opinion or assumption (Ich glaube, er kommt später. – I think he'll come later.)
You can also say who holds the belief using dative (jemandem glauben = to believe someone):
Ich glaube dir. – I believe you.
glauben may be followed by a clause (introduced by dass, often without "that" in English) or a simple statement.
*glauben* expresses belief, opinion, and faith.
Example Sentences
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Ich glaube an dich. | I believe in you. |
| Glaubst du, dass es morgen regnet? | Do you believe it will rain tomorrow? |
| Wir glauben, dass das eine gute Idee ist. | We believe that is a good idea. |
| Sie glauben an die Zukunft. | They believe in the future. |
| Er glaubt mir nicht. | He doesn’t believe me. |
| Glaubst du daran? | Do you believe in it? |
Exercises
- Conjugate glauben in present tense for all persons.
- Write three sentences using glauben for: (a) a fact, (b) faith, (c) opinion.
- How do you say "I believed" and "We have believed" in German?
Conclusion
glauben is a versatile verb for expressing belief, opinion, and faith—central to understanding how Germans communicate what they think and feel is true.
- Regular conjugation patterns like other -en verbs.
- Usable for factual beliefs, opinions, and religious faith.
- Can be used with dative to express trust in someone (e.g., Ich glaube dir).