to lie to
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to lie to
To deliberately tell a person something untrue; to lie to someone. It is a transitive verb that always requires an accusative object: the person being lied to.
Ich kann nicht fassen, dass er mich die ganze Zeit belogen hat.
I can’t believe that he lied to me the whole time.
'Belügen' (to lie to) is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'be-' remains firmly attached to the verb 'lügen' (to lie) in all tenses and sentence constructions.
Er hat sie von Anfang an belogen.
He lied to her from the very beginning.
The prefix 'be-' makes the verb transitive. This means it always needs a direct object in the accusative: the person who is being lied to.
Warum belügst du mich?
Why are you lying to me?
In the phrase 'sich selbst belügen' (to lie to oneself), 'sich' is a reflexive pronoun in the accusative. It expresses that you are deceiving yourself or do not want to accept an unpleasant truth.
Er belügt sich selbst, wenn er glaubt, ohne Lernen die Prüfung zu bestehen.
He is lying to himself if he believes he can pass the exam without studying.
to repress / displace
'verdrängen' and 'sich selbst belügen' both have to do with a truth that you do not want to see. 'verdrängen' usually means that unpleasant thoughts or feelings are unconsciously pushed away. 'sich selbst belügen' is more conscious, or at least seems that way: you convince yourself of something even though the truth is actually clear. The words can be confused because both describe a situation where someone ought to be honest with themselves. 'verdrängen' fits better with pain and memory, while 'sich selbst belügen' fits better with false excuses you make to yourself.
Ich belüge mich selbst, wenn ich sage, dass mir die Kritik egal ist.
I am lying to myself when I say that the criticism does not matter to me.
Tom verdrängt die Angst vor dem Arzttermin, bis er kaum noch daran denkt.
Tom represses his fear of the doctor's appointment until he hardly thinks about it anymore.