German word

beten

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈbeːtən/

Meaning

  • verbpray

Example

Als Kind betete er jede Nacht.

As a child, he prayed every night.

Illustration for beten (pray)

More examples

Viele beten um Frieden in schwierigen Zeiten.

Many people pray for peace during difficult times.

Core concept

Someone addresses a divine listener with words or thoughts, whether alone at night or on behalf of another person.

Common phrases

  • für jemanden beten

    offer prayers for someone

  • um Frieden beten

    pray for peace

  • zu Gott beten

    pray to God

Similar words

bitten: Requesting that another person take a specific action.
wünschen: Desiring a particular future or another person's well-being.
denken: Thinking about someone or something with concern and attention.
anbeten: Honoring a divine figure through intense worship and devotion.

Definition in German

Gott oder eine höhere Macht mit Worten oder Gedanken um Hilfe, Dank oder Fürbitte ansprechen.

Word origin

Beten developed from the Germanic family of words represented by Old High German beton and is related to German bitten and English bid.

Usage tips

  • Beten is the religious verb, while bitten usually means to ask a person for something and takes forms such as jemanden um etwas bitten.

Related words

  • das Gebetprayernoun
  • der Beterone who praysnoun
  • das Betenprayingnoun

Word lists with this word