to pray
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to pray
To address God or a higher power in prayer in order to give thanks, make a request, or worship.
Viele Menschen beten in schwierigen Zeiten für Kraft und Hoffnung.
Many people pray for strength and hope in difficult times.
In a religious context, different prepositions are used: 'zu' (to, direction, e.g. to God), 'für' (for, purpose, e.g. for peace), and 'um' (for, request, e.g. for forgiveness).
Sie betet zu Gott, dass er ihr hilft.
She prays to God that he will help her.
The verb 'beten' (to pray) belongs to the word family of 'das Gebet' (prayer). 'Beten' is the action of saying a prayer.
Vor dem Essen sprechen sie immer ein kurzes Gebet.
Before eating, they always say a short prayer.
In colloquial language, 'beten' (to pray) is also used as an exaggeration for 'inständig bitten' (to beg / ask earnestly). This meaning is metaphorical and not religious.
Ich habe ihn fast angebetet, mir bei dem Umzug zu helfen.
I practically begged him to help me with the move.
to ask / request
'bitten' and 'beten' look similar and sound similar, so they are easy to confuse. Use 'bitten' when you politely ask a person for something or ask them to do something. 'beten' normally means that you address God or a higher power in prayer. Colloquially, 'beten' can also mean that you urgently and repeatedly ask someone for something, but that is stronger and less neutral. In everyday life, for a normal polite request, 'bitten' is almost always correct.
Vor der Prüfung betet Maria kurz und hofft auf Ruhe.
Before the exam, Maria says a short prayer and hopes for calm.
Er hat seinen Chef wegen des Termins um einen freien Tag gebeten.
He asked his boss for a day off because of the appointment.