credo
das Credo, die Credos
Loading your saved state.
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.
creed
The Christian creed, which is spoken or sung as a fixed part of a church service.
Nach der Predigt sprach die Gemeinde gemeinsam das Credo.
After the sermon, the congregation recited the creed together.
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| plural | die Credos |
| genitive | des Credos |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Credo | die Credos |
| accusative | das Credo | die Credos |
| dative | dem Credo | den Credos |
| genitive | des Credos | der Credos |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
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.
motto
A Motto usually sums up a guiding idea in a brief, memorable form. Credo refers more to a personal core belief or the principle behind someone’s actions. Motto fits a concise slogan; when the belief itself is the focus, Credo is more appropriate.
Dass ein Mensch sein Leben lang lernen kann, ist Marias Credo.
The belief that a person can learn throughout life is Maria’s credo.
„Lernen hört nie auf“ ist Marias Motto.
“Learning never stops” is Maria’s motto.
