German · Everyday Verbs
"to believe" in German: glauben
glauben
To believe in German is glauben. Say Ich glaube das or Glaubst du mir?. For believing in a person or idea, use glauben an.
Checking a rumor
Ich glaube die Geschichte nicht.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce glauben
Say it
GLOW-ben
/ˈɡlaʊ̯bn̩/
GLOW-ben. Au like ow in how. Soft -en.
"to believe" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| glauben | to believe Core verb. | Core verb. |
| ich glaube / du glaubst | I/you believe Present forms. | Present forms. |
| glauben an | to believe in Faith or trust in someone/something. | Faith or trust in someone/something. |
| ich glaube schon | I think so / I believe so Soft agreement. | Soft agreement. |
How to use glauben in real life
- 1Checking a rumor
Ich glaube die Geschichte nicht.
I don't believe the story.
Ich glaube + object.
- 2Trusting a friend
Glaubst du mir wirklich?
Do you really believe me?
Glaubst du mir.
- 3Talking about luck
Sie glaubt an zweite Chancen.
She believes in second chances.
Glauben an.
Mistakes English speakers make with glauben
Incorrect: Ich glaube an das. (for believing a fact)
Correct: Ich glaube das.
For believing a statement, use glauben + accusative, not an.
Incorrect: Ich bin glauben.
Correct: Ich glaube.
Glauben conjugates; do not use bin + infinitive here.
Good to know
Ich glaube often softens an opinion, closer to I think. Stronger certainty uses Ich bin sicher. Glaubst du? invites the other person in without sounding harsh.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Doubting a weather app
ChatPal
Glaubst du der Vorhersage?
Do you believe the forecast?
You
Ich glaube eher dem Himmel draußen.
I believe the sky outside more.
ChatPal
Fair. Ich glaube, es bleibt trocken.
Fair. I believe it'll stay dry.
You
Okay, ich glaube dir das.
Okay, I believe you on that.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to believe" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to believe" in German
How do you conjugate glauben?
Ich glaube, du glaubst, er glaubt, wir glauben, ihr glaubt, sie glauben.
Believe me?
Glaub mir! / Glaubst du mir?
Believe in?
Glauben an + accusative: Ich glaube an dich.
I think so?
Ich glaube schon. / Ich glaube ja.
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- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
