gehören
to belong to
To be in someone's possession; to be someone's property.
EXAMPLE
Wem gehört dieser Schirm?
Who does this umbrella belong to?
gehören
to belong
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Meanings
gehören zu
to belong to
To be part of a group, category, or whole.
EXAMPLE
Löwen gehören zur Familie der Katzen.
Lions belong to the cat family.
gehören
to belong
To fit or need to be placed in a certain place or position.
EXAMPLE
Die schmutzigen Teller gehören in die Spülmaschine.
The dirty plates belong in the dishwasher.
sich gehören
to be proper
To conform to social conventions or good manners.
EXAMPLE
Es gehört sich nicht, bei Tisch zu schmatzen.
It isn't proper to smack your lips at the table.
Usage tips
Dative construction
To express possession, the person something belongs to is always in the dative. The object that is owned is the subject of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Das Fahrrad gehört meinem Bruder.
The bicycle belongs to my brother.
Fixed preposition 'zu'
When 'gehören' (to belong) means to be part of a group or category, it is always used with the preposition 'zu' and the dative.
EXAMPLE
Dieses Thema gehört nicht zur Prüfung.
This topic is not part of the exam.
Use with places
To express that something belongs in a specific place, use 'gehören' (to belong) followed by a location phrase, usually with a preposition such as 'in', 'auf', or 'an'.
EXAMPLE
Die Bücher gehören zurück ins Regal.
The books belong back on the shelf.
Fixed expression 'sich gehören'
The expression 'es gehört sich' (it is proper) is an impersonal phrase used to talk about good manners or social rules. The 'es' is a fixed part of it.
EXAMPLE
Es gehört sich, „Danke“ zu sagen, wenn man ein Geschenk bekommt.
It is proper to say 'thank you' when you receive a gift.
Compare with
gehören vs passen
to fit / suit / pass
Gehören refers here to the intended or proper place for something. Passen, by contrast, says that the size, shape, or practical suitability is right for a particular place. So a cup may gehören in a certain cupboard but not passen because it is too tall.
gehören
Die großen Tassen gehören in den oberen Küchenschrank.
The large cups belong in the upper kitchen cupboard.
passen
Die großen Tassen passen wegen ihrer Höhe nicht in den oberen Küchenschrank.
The large cups do not fit in the upper kitchen cupboard because of their height.
In real life
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