ulterior motive
Loading your saved state.
ulterior motive
A hidden reason or secret intention behind an action or statement that is not openly stated.
Er hat mir geholfen, aber ich glaube, er hatte dabei einen Hintergedanken.
He helped me, but I think he had an ulterior motive.
The word is built very logically: it consists of 'hinter' (behind) and 'Gedanke' (thought). A 'Hintergedanke' (ulterior motive) is therefore literally a thought hidden behind what is openly said or done.
Seine freundlichen Worte klangen ehrlich, aber sie hatte das Gefühl, er verfolgte einen Hintergedanken.
His friendly words sounded sincere, but she had the feeling that he was pursuing an ulterior motive.
'Hintergedanke' (ulterior motive) is very often used with the verb 'haben' (to have). Typical formulations are 'einen Hintergedanken haben' (to have an ulterior motive) or the negation 'ohne Hintergedanken handeln' (to act without ulterior motives).
Ich helfe dir gern, und zwar ganz ohne Hintergedanken.
I’m happy to help you, completely without any ulterior motive.
The word usually has a slightly negative or suspicious connotation. It implies that a person’s true intention is self-serving or not entirely honest.
Sein plötzliches Interesse weckte den Verdacht, dass er einen Hintergedanken hatte.
His sudden interest raised the suspicion that he had an ulterior motive.
intention
'die Absicht' and 'der Hintergedanke' both describe a reason or goal behind an action. 'die Absicht' is neutral: someone wants to do or achieve something specific. This intention can be stated openly. 'der Hintergedanke' sounds more hidden and often somewhat suspicious. You use the word when you think someone has another secret reason. The words can be confused because an ulterior motive is also a kind of intention. But not every intention is an ulterior motive. If nothing hidden is meant, 'Absicht' is more natural.
Bei seinem freundlichen Angebot hatte Max einen Hintergedanken.
Max had an ulterior motive behind his friendly offer.
Die Absicht der Eltern war, im Urlaub mehr Zeit mit den Kindern zu verbringen.
The parents' intention was to spend more time with the children during the vacation.