credo
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credo
A personal core belief, guiding principle, or principle according to which someone directs their actions.
Sein Credo war, niemals aufzugeben und immer an sich zu glauben.
His credo was never to give up and always to believe in himself.
The word 'Credo' comes directly from Latin and means 'I believe'. This origin explains why it is used in German as a foreign word with a fixed form.
Das Credo des Unternehmens ist, stets innovative Produkte zu entwickeln.
The company's credo is to always develop innovative products.
Whether the personal belief or the creed is meant can be recognized from the context. Words like 'Kirche' (church) or 'Gottesdienst' (church service) point to the religious meaning, while contexts such as 'Firma' (company), 'Philosophie' (philosophy), or 'persönlich' (personal) point to the guiding principle.
Das Credo der Firma lautet: Der Kunde ist König.
The company's credo is: The customer is king.
'Credo' belongs to elevated language and is often used in formal, intellectual, or written contexts to express a fundamental belief.
In seiner Antrittsrede formulierte der neue Direktor das Credo für seine Amtszeit.
In his inaugural speech, the new director formulated the credo for his term in office.
To describe a personal credo, the phrases 'Das Credo lautet:' (The credo is:) or 'Sein/Ihr Credo ist:' (His/Her credo is:) are often used, followed by a sentence or an infinitive construction.
Ihr Credo lautet: Qualität vor Quantität.
Her credo is: quality over quantity.
principle
'das Prinzip' and 'das Credo' can both describe a firm belief according to which someone acts. 'Prinzip' is more general: it can be a rule, a principle, or a firm attitude, including in a system or in a decision. 'Credo' sounds more personal and more like a guiding principle that someone consciously stands for. Learners may confuse the words because a credo often contains a principle. In everyday life, people often say 'Prinzip', especially for individual rules. 'Credo' fits better when you want to express the central attitude of a person or group.
Mein Credo ist: Lieber ehrlich sprechen als Probleme lange verstecken.
My credo is: it is better to speak honestly than to hide problems for a long time.
Der Fahrer hielt sich aus Prinzip an die vereinbarte Route.
The driver stuck to the agreed route on principle.