Denken describes thinking, while glauben can express an assumption, a belief or trust in someone's statement.
The idea
Learn an jemanden denken, über etwas nachdenken and jemandem glauben. Ich glaube, dass ... expresses an assumption; the different complements matter more than a one-word translation.
| Form / Muster | Beispiel / Gegensatz |
|---|---|
| denken an + Akkusativ | an die Reise denken |
| nachdenken über + Akkusativ | über die Frage nachdenken |
| jemandem glauben | Ich glaube dir. |
| Perfekt | hat gedacht / hat geglaubt |
Examples
- Ich denke oft an meine Familie.
- Was denkst du über den Plan?
- Ich glaube, dass der Laden noch offen ist.
- Sie glaubt mir nicht.
- Wir denken gerade über die Frage nach.
- Glaubst du an Glück?
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Watch out
Learn the complement with the meaning: an dich denken, über eine Frage nachdenken, jemandem glauben. The preposition or verb determines the required case.
Try it yourself
Ich denke ___ dich. (an / über; im Sinn haben)
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an
Answer: “an”. This meaning uses the verb in this established combination; learn the whole expression.
Glaubst du ___? (mir / mich; meine Aussage)
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mir
Answer: “mir”. This complement is dative; its article, pronoun or adjective must show that case.
Er hat an den Termin ___. (denken)
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gedacht
Answer: “gedacht”. The auxiliary already carries the tense and person; the final verb needs its past participle.
Practice round
Answer three questions, then rebuild three German sentences. We keep your score.
Ich denke ___ dich. (an / über; im Sinn haben)
Glaubst du ___? (mir / mich; meine Aussage)
Er hat an den Termin ___. (denken)
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write a two-line conversation around “Ich denke oft an meine Familie.”. Use the target expression in your reply and make its intended meaning clear.