VerbA1

denken

to think, to have an opinion or belief · to think of/about, to have in mind · to think, to use one's mind

Denken means 'to think' in the sense of having thoughts, opinions, or memories. It is one of the most common German verbs and is used in everyday speech to express what you believe, what crosses your mind, or what you intend to do.

What denken means

  1. to think, to have an opinion or belief — Used when expressing what you believe or suppose, often with 'dass' or a main clause.
  2. to think of/about, to have in mind — Used with 'an' + accusative to mean thinking of someone or something.
  3. to think, to use one's mind — General mental activity, often without an object.

Heard in real German videos

Lines where denken was actually spoken, from German videos watched with DeutschChat.

  • Ich dachte schon, du bist sauer auf mich.I already thought you were mad at me.
  • Ich dachte immer, es sind nur sieben.I always thought there were only seven.

Example sentences

  • Ich denke, dass es heute regnen wird.I think that it will rain today.
  • Was denkst du über den neuen Film?What do you think about the new film?
  • Er denkt oft an seine Kindheit.He often thinks about his childhood.
  • Denk daran, mich anzurufen.Remember to call me.

Grammar

Present (ich/du/er)denke / denkst / denkt
Simple pastdachte
Perfecthat gedacht
Separableno
Caseoften with 'an' + accusative

Denken is a regular verb in the present tense but has an irregular simple past (dachte) and past participle (gedacht).

Common phrases

  • an etwas denkento think of/about something
  • sich etwas denkento imagine something, to think to oneself
  • Denk mal!Just think! Imagine!
  • Ich denke schon.I think so.

The mistake English speakers make

English speakers often use 'denken an' with the dative case, but it requires the accusative: 'Ich denke an dich' (not 'an dir').

Don’t confuse it with

  • glauben — Glauben means 'to believe' and often implies a less certain or more faith-based opinion, while denken is more about rational thought or opinion.
  • meinen — Meinen means 'to mean' or 'to be of the opinion' and is often used to clarify what one intended to say, whereas denken is broader.

Questions learners ask

What is the difference between 'denken an' and 'denken über'?

'Denken an' means to think of someone or something (often with emotional connotation), while 'denken über' means to think about a topic or to have an opinion on something.

How do you conjugate 'denken' in the past tense?

The simple past is 'ich dachte, du dachtest, er dachte, wir dachten, ihr dachtet, sie dachten'. The perfect is 'ich habe gedacht'.

Is 'denken' a separable verb?

No, 'denken' itself is not separable, but there are separable verbs derived from it, like 'nachdenken' (to reflect) and 'mitdenken' (to think along).