German word

spekulieren

Pronunciation

IPA/ʃpekuˈliːʁən/

Meaning

  • verbguess

Example

Ich spekuliere, dass er heute nicht kommt.

I guess he won't come today.

Illustration for spekulieren (guess)

More examples

Journalisten spekulieren häufig über den Ausgang der Wahlen.

Journalists often speculate about the outcome of the elections.

Core concept

A half-seen pattern invites a guess while an uncertain market move invites a wager.

Common phrases

  • spekulieren über

    speculate about

  • wild spekulieren

    speculate wildly

Similar words

vermuten: Think something is likely despite having no direct proof.
schätzen: Make a rough estimate of a number or amount.

Definition in German

Aus vagen oder unvollständigen Hinweisen eine Annahme treffen; in der Wirtschaft mit riskanten Investitionen auf Gewinn hoffen.

Word origin

Spekulieren belongs to the learned vocabulary derived from Latin speculari, "to observe", whose semantic history led to both guesswork and risk-taking for profit.

Usage tips

  • Auf etwas spekulieren means to hope or risk for a result, while mit etwas spekulieren commonly refers to trading or taking risks with an asset.

Other meanings

  • conjectureverb
  • speculateverb

Opposites

Related words

  • Spekulationspeculationnoun
  • spekulativspeculativeadjective

Word lists with this word