German word

vermuten

Pronunciation

IPA/fɛɐ̯ˈmuːtən/

Meaning

  • verbsuspect

Example

Ich vermute, dass er heute kommt.

I suspect that he is coming today.

Illustration for vermuten (suspect)

More examples

Die Polizei vermutet Betrug.

The police suspect fraud.

Core concept

An incomplete puzzle leads to a tentative conclusion rather than a verified fact.

Common phrases

  • vermuten, dass

    suspect that

  • etwas vermuten

    suspect something

Similar words

glauben: Regard something as true because of personal faith or conviction.
meinen: Present something as a personal opinion or considered view.
annehmen: Accept something provisionally as a basis for an argument or plan.
ahnen: Feel that something is likely through a vague intuition or premonition.

Definition in German

auf Grund von Hinweisen annehmen, dass etwas so ist

Word origin

Its history goes back to Middle High German vermuten and the older verb muten, with ver- forming the modern verb.

Usage tips

  • For English 'expect' about a likely future event, German often uses erwarten; vermuten instead presents a conclusion based on clues.

Other meanings

  • assumeverb
  • expectverb
  • supposeverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word