VerbA2

meinen

to mean (intend to say) · to think, to be of the opinion

Meinen means 'to mean' or 'to think/opine'. It is used to express what someone intends to say or what their opinion is. Germans use it very often in questions like 'Was meinst du?' (What do you mean? / What do you think?).

What meinen means

to mean (intend to say) — When clarifying what someone is trying to communicate.
to think, to be of the opinion — When expressing an opinion or belief, often with a subordinate clause.

Heard in real German videos

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

Wie meinen Sie das?What do you mean by that?
Meinst du, sie hat Angst?Do you think she is scared?

Example sentences

Was meinst du damit?What do you mean by that?
Ich meine, dass wir mehr Zeit brauchen.I think that we need more time.
Er meint es gut mit dir.He means well by you.
Meinst du, das ist eine gute Idee?Do you think that is a good idea?

Grammar

Present (ich/du/er)	meine / meinst / meint
Simple past	meinte
Perfect	haben + gemeint
Separable	no
Case	accusative (direct object) or clause

Meinen is a weak verb, so its past forms are regular: meinte, gemeint.

Common phrases

das meine ich ernstI mean it seriously
meiner Meinung nachin my opinion
es gut meinento mean well
Wie meinst du das?What do you mean by that?

The mistake English speakers make

English speakers often confuse 'meinen' with 'bedeuten'. 'Meinen' is about a person's intention or opinion, while 'bedeuten' is about the meaning of a word or sign. Use 'bedeuten' for definitions.

Don’t confuse it with

bedeuten — Bedeuten means 'to signify' or 'to mean' in the sense of a word's definition, while meinen refers to a person's intention or opinion.

Questions learners ask

What is the difference between 'meinen' and 'denken'?

'Meinen' is used when you want to express an opinion or what you intend to say, while 'denken' is more about the process of thinking. 'Ich meine, dass...' is similar to 'I am of the opinion that...', whereas 'Ich denke, dass...' is 'I think that...' but they are often interchangeable.