Frame description
A Cognizer holds a particular Opinion, which may be portrayed as being about a particular Topic.
Examples:
| 1. Die Studenten meinen, die Kosten des Studiums sind zu hoch. | 1. The students think the costs of studying are too high. |
| 2. Wie findet ihr den Film? | 2. How do you all find the movie? [What do you all think of the movie?] |
| 3. Jeder hier hat den unbedingten Glauben, dass seine Sprache die schönste sei. | 3. Everybody here has the absolute belief that their language is the most beautiful. |
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Frame Elements
Frame Element descriptions (on hover):
The Cognizer's way of thinking, which is not always generally accepted. The Opinion is typically dependent on the Cognizer's point of view.
The Topic is the subject of the Cognizer's Opinion (i.e. about what the Cognizer has an Opinion).
Details |
Examples |
Grammar Notes |
Sentence Templates |
Alternate Forms |
See All Information |
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| denken | verb | to think | |||||||
Details:to think In the Opinion frame, "denken" ("to think") means to have an opinion or belief about some Topic. The Opinion is typically expressed by a dependent clause headed by "dass" ("that"). Click here to review word order after subordinating conjunctions. Further details: Word formation: "der Denkanstoß" ("thought-provoking impulse," "food for thought"), "der Denker" ("thinker"), "die Denkfalte" ("thinking wrinkle"), "der Denkfehler" ("error in reasoning," "fallacy"), "denkfaul" ("too lazy to think"), "die Denkfreiheit" ("freedom of thought"), "denkbar" ("possible," "conceivable," "imaginable"), "die Denkschrift" ("memorandum"), "das Denkspiel" ("brain game," "puzzle game"), "ausdenken / sich etwas ausdenken" ("to think of something"), "durchdenken" ("to think something through"), "gedenken" ("to remember sth. / so."), "mitdenken" (lit. "to think along," "to participate intellectually," "to be mentally present"), "nachdenken" ("to think about sth." "to reflect on sth."), "überdenken" ("to reconsider sth."), among others Synonyms: "überlegen," "erwägen," "reflektieren," "annehmen," "erwarten," "glauben," "meinen," "vermuten," "schätzen," among others More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language: „denken“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/denken>, abgerufen am 17.02.2022.
This word is part of the vocabulary for the Goethe-Zertifikat A2. Example Sentences:
Templates with Frame Elements:
Details:to think In the Opinion frame, "denken" ("to think") means to have an opinion or belief about some Topic. The Opinion is typically expressed by a dependent clause headed by "dass" ("that"). Click here to review word order after subordinating conjunctions. Further details: Word formation: "der Denkanstoß" ("thought-provoking impulse," "food for thought"), "der Denker" ("thinker"), "die Denkfalte" ("thinking wrinkle"), "der Denkfehler" ("error in reasoning," "fallacy"), "denkfaul" ("too lazy to think"), "die Denkfreiheit" ("freedom of thought"), "denkbar" ("possible," "conceivable," "imaginable"), "die Denkschrift" ("memorandum"), "das Denkspiel" ("brain game," "puzzle game"), "ausdenken / sich etwas ausdenken" ("to think of something"), "durchdenken" ("to think something through"), "gedenken" ("to remember sth. / so."), "mitdenken" (lit. "to think along," "to participate intellectually," "to be mentally present"), "nachdenken" ("to think about sth." "to reflect on sth."), "überdenken" ("to reconsider sth."), among others Synonyms: "überlegen," "erwägen," "reflektieren," "annehmen," "erwarten," "glauben," "meinen," "vermuten," "schätzen," among others More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language: „denken“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/denken>, abgerufen am 17.02.2022.
This word is part of the vocabulary for the Goethe-Zertifikat A2. Alternate Forms:(er) denkt, dachte, hat gedacht |
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| finden | verb | to find | |||||||
Details:to find (something to be a certain way), to think While English does have this sense of "to find," as in "I find reading very relaxing" ("Ich finde Lesen sehr entspannend"), it is not used nearly as frequently as German "finden." This verb is generally used to ask what others think about something, i.e. to ask about their opinion. The Opinion is usually expressed as either a direct object and adjective combination (as in the previous example) or as a dependent clause headed by "dass" ("that"). Further details: Word formation: "(etwas) herausfinden" ("to find sth. out"), among others Synonyms: "etwas / jemanden für etwas halten," "eine Meinung über etwas / jemanden haben," "etwas für gut / schlecht befinden," "beurteilen," "bewerten," "einschätzen," "evaluieren," among others More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language: „finden“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/finden>, abgerufen am 18.02.2022.
This word is part of the vocabulary for the Goethe-Zertifikat A1. Example Sentences:
Templates with Frame Elements:
Details:to find (something to be a certain way), to think While English does have this sense of "to find," as in "I find reading very relaxing" ("Ich finde Lesen sehr entspannend"), it is not used nearly as frequently as German "finden." This verb is generally used to ask what others think about something, i.e. to ask about their opinion. The Opinion is usually expressed as either a direct object and adjective combination (as in the previous example) or as a dependent clause headed by "dass" ("that"). Further details: Word formation: "(etwas) herausfinden" ("to find sth. out"), among others Synonyms: "etwas / jemanden für etwas halten," "eine Meinung über etwas / jemanden haben," "etwas für gut / schlecht befinden," "beurteilen," "bewerten," "einschätzen," "evaluieren," among others More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language: „finden“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/finden>, abgerufen am 18.02.2022.
This word is part of the vocabulary for the Goethe-Zertifikat A1. Alternate Forms:(er) findet, fand, hat gefunden |
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| Gedanke, der | noun | thought, idea | |||||||
Details:thought, idea This noun is used as in English, although not to indicate thinking in general, but only individual thoughts (i.e. it cannot be used as a mass noun as in "western thought"; for this use see "das Denken" in the Pondering frame). The meaning difference between "Gedanke" in this frame and "Gedanke" in the Thinking: Pondering frame is that here, the usage typically involves something more akin to an idea. Obviously, all usages in this frame imply an opinion rather than a thought as a feature of mental activity. This example illustrates its use in Opinion: "Erzählen Sie uns von Ihren Gedanken zu Heideggers 'Sein und Zeit'" ("Tell us of your thoughts on Heidegger's 'Being and Time.'" Further details: Word formation: "das Gedankengut" ("body of thought," "ideas," "thinking"), "der Gedankengang" ("train, line of thought"), "der Gedankenaustausch" ("exchange of ideas"), "gedankenlos" ("thoughtless," "unthinking," "brainless"), among others Synonyms: "die Einsicht," "die Erkenntnis," "die Anregung," "der Einfall," "die Idee," among others More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language: „Gedanke“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/Gedanke>, abgerufen am 18.02.2022.
This word is part of the vocabulary for the Goethe-Zertifikat B1. Example Sentences:
Templates with Frame Elements:
Details:thought, idea This noun is used as in English, although not to indicate thinking in general, but only individual thoughts (i.e. it cannot be used as a mass noun as in "western thought"; for this use see "das Denken" in the Pondering frame). The meaning difference between "Gedanke" in this frame and "Gedanke" in the Thinking: Pondering frame is that here, the usage typically involves something more akin to an idea. Obviously, all usages in this frame imply an opinion rather than a thought as a feature of mental activity. This example illustrates its use in Opinion: "Erzählen Sie uns von Ihren Gedanken zu Heideggers 'Sein und Zeit'" ("Tell us of your thoughts on Heidegger's 'Being and Time.'" Further details: Word formation: "das Gedankengut" ("body of thought," "ideas," "thinking"), "der Gedankengang" ("train, line of thought"), "der Gedankenaustausch" ("exchange of ideas"), "gedankenlos" ("thoughtless," "unthinking," "brainless"), among others Synonyms: "die Einsicht," "die Erkenntnis," "die Anregung," "der Einfall," "die Idee," among others More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language: „Gedanke“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/Gedanke>, abgerufen am 18.02.2022.
This word is part of the vocabulary for the Goethe-Zertifikat B1. Alternate Forms:(pl.) die Gedanken |
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| Glaube, der | noun | belief | |||||||
Details:belief Most instances of this LU fall within the Awareness frame, although as with the related LU "glauben" ("to believe"), some instances may evoke the Opinon or Certainty frames, as explained below. Note that this noun does not have a plural form. "Der Glaube" in the Awareness frame includes uses where the Cognizer has a particular belief in their mental model of the world. This differs from "der Glaube" in the Opinion frame in that the Cognizer holds the Topic or Content not as an Opinion, but as part of their subjective reality. Some ambiguity between these senses is possible. However, the preposition "an" ("in") is a clear sign that the Awareness frame is at play. Saying that a person believes "in" something implies that they hold that concept as part of their subjective reality. Thus the prepositional phrase with "an" ("in") is used to express the Content (the concept that the Cognizer believes in), as in example 2. The Awareness sense of "der Glaube" can also overlap with the Certainty frame. The difference is that in the Certainty frame, there is a stronger emphasis on the implication that the Content (the belief) is correct or accurate, rather than a part of the Cognizer's subjective world view. Further details: Word formation: "das Glaubensbekenntnis" ("creed," "profession of faith," "statement of belief"), "die Glaubensfreiheit" ("religious freedom"), "die Glaubensgemeinschaft" ("denomination," "community of faith"), "die Glaubensrichtung" ("denomination," "creed," "persuation"), "gläubig" ("religious," "believing"), "der Aberglaube" ("superstition"), "der Fortschrittsglaube" ("(naive) belief in progress"), among others Synonyms: "das Vertrauen," "die Überzeugung," "die Zuversicht," "das Bekenntnis," "die Konfession," among others More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language: „Glaube“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/Glaube>, abgerufen am 17.02.2022. Example Sentences:
Templates with Frame Elements:
Details:belief Most instances of this LU fall within the Awareness frame, although as with the related LU "glauben" ("to believe"), some instances may evoke the Opinon or Certainty frames, as explained below. Note that this noun does not have a plural form. "Der Glaube" in the Awareness frame includes uses where the Cognizer has a particular belief in their mental model of the world. This differs from "der Glaube" in the Opinion frame in that the Cognizer holds the Topic or Content not as an Opinion, but as part of their subjective reality. Some ambiguity between these senses is possible. However, the preposition "an" ("in") is a clear sign that the Awareness frame is at play. Saying that a person believes "in" something implies that they hold that concept as part of their subjective reality. Thus the prepositional phrase with "an" ("in") is used to express the Content (the concept that the Cognizer believes in), as in example 2. The Awareness sense of "der Glaube" can also overlap with the Certainty frame. The difference is that in the Certainty frame, there is a stronger emphasis on the implication that the Content (the belief) is correct or accurate, rather than a part of the Cognizer's subjective world view. Further details: Word formation: "das Glaubensbekenntnis" ("creed," "profession of faith," "statement of belief"), "die Glaubensfreiheit" ("religious freedom"), "die Glaubensgemeinschaft" ("denomination," "community of faith"), "die Glaubensrichtung" ("denomination," "creed," "persuation"), "gläubig" ("religious," "believing"), "der Aberglaube" ("superstition"), "der Fortschrittsglaube" ("(naive) belief in progress"), among others Synonyms: "das Vertrauen," "die Überzeugung," "die Zuversicht," "das Bekenntnis," "die Konfession," among others More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language: „Glaube“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/Glaube>, abgerufen am 17.02.2022. Alternate Forms:der Glauben (rarely used), (pl.) die Glauben (rarely used) |
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| glauben | verb | to believe | |||||||
Details:to believe It is sometimes difficult to distinguish the Opinion sense of "glauben" from its Awareness or Certainty senses, and in some instances, ambiguity is possible. The key difference is that in the Opinion sense, the Opinion frame element is not something that the Cognizer became aware of through their senses, it is not something that the Cognizer holds as part of their mental model of the world, and it is not something that the Cognizer is construing as fact or as an explanation for some event. See the entries for "glauben" in Thinking: Awareness and Thinking: Certainty for further explanation of these differences. The most telling clue that a sentence with "glauben" involves Opinion rather than Awareness or Certainty is the presence of words like "gut" ("good"), "schön ("pretty") or "schlecht" ("bad"), that involve subjective interpretations. The following examples compare similar uses of "glauben" in the three Thinking frames it can evoke. Thinking: Awareness German: Ich glaube, wir haben eine Lösung gefunden. Thinking: Opinion German: Ich glaube, wir haben eine gute Lösung gefunden. Thinking: Certainty German: Ich glaube, das Feuer wurde angezündet, bevor die Lösung bekannt gemacht wurde. Further details: Word formation: "glaubhaft" ("plausible," "credible"), "glaubwürdig" ("credible," "believably," "reliable") Synonyms: "meinen," "überzeugt sein (von)" More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language: „glauben“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/glauben>, abgerufen am 17.02.2022.
This word is part of the vocabulary for the Goethe-Zertifikat A1. Example Sentences:
Templates with Frame Elements:
Details:to believe It is sometimes difficult to distinguish the Opinion sense of "glauben" from its Awareness or Certainty senses, and in some instances, ambiguity is possible. The key difference is that in the Opinion sense, the Opinion frame element is not something that the Cognizer became aware of through their senses, it is not something that the Cognizer holds as part of their mental model of the world, and it is not something that the Cognizer is construing as fact or as an explanation for some event. See the entries for "glauben" in Thinking: Awareness and Thinking: Certainty for further explanation of these differences. The most telling clue that a sentence with "glauben" involves Opinion rather than Awareness or Certainty is the presence of words like "gut" ("good"), "schön ("pretty") or "schlecht" ("bad"), that involve subjective interpretations. The following examples compare similar uses of "glauben" in the three Thinking frames it can evoke. Thinking: Awareness German: Ich glaube, wir haben eine Lösung gefunden. Thinking: Opinion German: Ich glaube, wir haben eine gute Lösung gefunden. Thinking: Certainty German: Ich glaube, das Feuer wurde angezündet, bevor die Lösung bekannt gemacht wurde. Further details: Word formation: "glaubhaft" ("plausible," "credible"), "glaubwürdig" ("credible," "believably," "reliable") Synonyms: "meinen," "überzeugt sein (von)" More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language: „glauben“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/glauben>, abgerufen am 17.02.2022.
This word is part of the vocabulary for the Goethe-Zertifikat A1. Alternate Forms:(er) glaubt, glaubte, hat geglaubt |
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| meinen | verb | to believe, to opine, to think | |||||||
Details:to think, to belive, to opine, to be of the opinion "Meinen" lacks a good translation in English because it is the verbal form of the word for "opinion" ("die Meinung"). English has "to opine," but its infrequency makes it a poor candidate, so "meinen" is typically translated as "to think" or "to believe." The key difference with "meinen" is that it definitely refers to having an opinion or being of a certain opinion. Its patterns of use are similar to "glauben" and "denken" in the Opinion frame. Note that "meinen" also has the sense "to mean," as in "Was meinst du?" ("What do you mean?"), which belongs to a different frame. Further details: Word formation: "wohlmeinend" ("well-meaning," "well-intentioned"), "ernst meinen" ("to be serious about sth."), "gutgemeint" ("well-intenioned," "well-meant") Synonyms: "annehmen," "denken," "erwarten," "mutmaßen," "vermuten," "glauben," "überzeugt sein (von)," among others More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language: „meinen“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/meinen>, abgerufen am 18.02.2022.
This word is part of the vocabulary for the Goethe-Zertifikat A2. Example Sentences:
Templates with Frame Elements:
Details:to think, to belive, to opine, to be of the opinion "Meinen" lacks a good translation in English because it is the verbal form of the word for "opinion" ("die Meinung"). English has "to opine," but its infrequency makes it a poor candidate, so "meinen" is typically translated as "to think" or "to believe." The key difference with "meinen" is that it definitely refers to having an opinion or being of a certain opinion. Its patterns of use are similar to "glauben" and "denken" in the Opinion frame. Note that "meinen" also has the sense "to mean," as in "Was meinst du?" ("What do you mean?"), which belongs to a different frame. Further details: Word formation: "wohlmeinend" ("well-meaning," "well-intentioned"), "ernst meinen" ("to be serious about sth."), "gutgemeint" ("well-intenioned," "well-meant") Synonyms: "annehmen," "denken," "erwarten," "mutmaßen," "vermuten," "glauben," "überzeugt sein (von)," among others More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language: „meinen“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/meinen>, abgerufen am 18.02.2022.
This word is part of the vocabulary for the Goethe-Zertifikat A2. Alternate Forms:(er) meint, meinte, hat gemeint |
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| Meinung, die | noun | opinion | |||||||
Details:opinion In most instances, this noun can be used like English "opinion," with the exception of the set phrase "meiner Meinung nach" ("in my opinion"). The possessive pronoun (in dative) in this phrase can be modified to reflect anyone's opinion, but the "nach" must always appear after "Meinung." The whole phrase fills the first position in the sentence (if it comes first), so a conjugated verb often follows it. See examples 3 and 9. Another common collocation, "der (gleichen) Meinung sein," "to be of (the same) opinion," uses the genitive case and the verb "sein" ("to be"). See example 2. Further details: Word formation: "der Meinungsaustausch" ("exchange of ideas, opinions"), "die Meinungsfreiheit" ("freedom of opinion"), "die Meinungsbildung" ("formation, forming of opinion"), "die Meinungsumfrage" ("opinion survey, poll"), "meinungsbildend" ("opinion-forming"), "die Meinungsverschiedenheit" ("disagreement," "dispute," "controversy"), "die Expertenmeinung" ("expert opinion"), among others Synonyms: "die Ansicht," "die Anschauung," "die Betrachtungsweise," "der Standpunkt," "die Einstellung," "die Position," "das Verständnis," "die Überzeugung," among others More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language: „Meinung“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/Meinung>, abgerufen am 18.02.2022.
This word is part of the vocabulary for the Goethe-Zertifikat A2. Example Sentences:
Templates with Frame Elements:
Details:opinion In most instances, this noun can be used like English "opinion," with the exception of the set phrase "meiner Meinung nach" ("in my opinion"). The possessive pronoun (in dative) in this phrase can be modified to reflect anyone's opinion, but the "nach" must always appear after "Meinung." The whole phrase fills the first position in the sentence (if it comes first), so a conjugated verb often follows it. See examples 3 and 9. Another common collocation, "der (gleichen) Meinung sein," "to be of (the same) opinion," uses the genitive case and the verb "sein" ("to be"). See example 2. Further details: Word formation: "der Meinungsaustausch" ("exchange of ideas, opinions"), "die Meinungsfreiheit" ("freedom of opinion"), "die Meinungsbildung" ("formation, forming of opinion"), "die Meinungsumfrage" ("opinion survey, poll"), "meinungsbildend" ("opinion-forming"), "die Meinungsverschiedenheit" ("disagreement," "dispute," "controversy"), "die Expertenmeinung" ("expert opinion"), among others Synonyms: "die Ansicht," "die Anschauung," "die Betrachtungsweise," "der Standpunkt," "die Einstellung," "die Position," "das Verständnis," "die Überzeugung," among others More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language: „Meinung“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/Meinung>, abgerufen am 18.02.2022.
This word is part of the vocabulary for the Goethe-Zertifikat A2. Alternate Forms:(pl.) die Meinungen |
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