Translation of German word "meinen" to English
meinen
/maɪ̯nən/
Meaning
VerbTo ponder, to go over in one's mind.
How to use
The weak verb meinen ('to mean / think / believe / say') conjugates regularly: ich meine, du meinst, er meint, hat gemeint. Note: the source translation is 'to think' (мышлить, which is misspelled in Russian; it should be «мыслить» or better «полагать / думать / иметь в виду»). It is used to express an opinion (Ich meine, das ist wahr — I think this is true) or to refer to something/someone (Wer ist gemeint? — Who is meant/referred to?). It contrasts with bedeuten (which refers to dictionary meaning).
🇬🇧 English
to think
Example
Müßig dachte der Detektiv darüber nach, was sein nächster Schritt sein sollte.
The detective idly thought about what his next step should be.
„Ich sollte meine Mutter anrufen“, dachte ich.
“I should call my mom,” I thought.
Your personal vocabulary
🦊 Use this word in a live AI conversationCommon phrases
- Was meinst du?— What do you think? / What do you mean?
- es gut meinen— to mean well (requires impersonal 'es' + dative for person: 'er meint es gut mit dir')
- ernst meinen— to mean it seriously / be serious
This concept in other languages
📖 Related grammar
🦊 Conjugation of the verb "meinen"Full conjugation →
Present Tense (Präsens)
Simple Past (Präteritum)
Perfect (Perfekt)
ich bin/habe gemeint
Imperative (Imperativ)
Frequency rank: #274 in German
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the definition of the German word "meinen"?▼
The German word "meinen" is defined as: "To ponder, to go over in one's mind."
What does the German word "meinen" mean?▼
The German word "meinen" means "to think" in English.
How do you pronounce the German word "meinen"?▼
You can hear the correct audio pronunciation of the word "meinen" by clicking the play button next to the word at the top of this page.
Can I see an example sentence with "meinen"?▼
Yes, here is a practical example: "Ich meine, dass es kalt ist." (which translates as "The detective idly thought about what his next step should be.").
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