German word

wähnen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈvɛːnən/

Meaning

  • verbwrongly assume

Example

Ich wähne, er ist zu Hause.

I wrongly assume he is at home.

Illustration for wähnen (wrongly assume)

More examples

Sie wähnte sich im Recht, obwohl sie einen Fehler gemacht hatte.

She imagined herself to be in the right, although she had made a mistake.

Core concept

An uncertain guess hardens into an imagined fact in the speaker's mind.

Common phrases

  • sich im Recht wähnen

    imagine oneself to be in the right

  • Schuld bei jemandem wähnen

    believe someone to be at fault

Similar words

glauben: Be convinced that something is true and accept it as such.
vermuten: Expect something to be true based on limited evidence.
meinen: Have a particular idea or opinion about something.

Definition in German

ohne Gewissheit an etwas fest glauben oder etwas irrtümlich annehmen

Word origin

The modern verb preserves the old Germanic root seen in Old High German wānan and Middle High German wænen, also reflected in the noun Wahn.

Usage tips

  • The reflexive phrase 'sich in Sicherheit wähnen' means to feel falsely secure, not merely to imagine safety.

Other meanings

  • imagineverb

Opposites

Related words

  • Wahnvorstellungdelusionnoun
  • wahnhaftdelusionaladjective

Word lists with this word