meinen
to think
To have and express a particular opinion or view. It is often used to express a personal belief.
EXAMPLE
Ich meine, wir sollten das Angebot annehmen.
I think we should accept the offer.
meinen
to think / mean
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Meanings
meinen
to mean
To refer to a particular person, thing, or specific matter. It is often used in questions to ask for clarification.
EXAMPLE
Wen genau meinst du mit 'er'?
Who exactly do you mean by 'he'?
meinen
to mean
To say something with a particular, often serious or sincere intention. It emphasizes the seriousness of a statement.
EXAMPLE
Das meine ich völlig ernst.
I mean that completely seriously.
es gut meinen mit
to mean well by
To have good and well-meaning intentions toward someone, even if the result may not be perfect.
EXAMPLE
Er meint es nur gut mit dir, auch wenn er manchmal etwas streng ist.
He only means well by you, even if he is sometimes a bit strict.
Usage tips
False friend
Although 'meinen' sometimes means 'to mean', its most common meaning is 'to think' or 'to have an opinion'. When someone begins a sentence with 'Ich meine, ...' (I think/mean ...), they are expressing their personal view.
EXAMPLE
Ich meine, das ist eine gute Idee.
I think that is a good idea.
Sentence structure with 'dass'
To express an opinion, 'meinen' (to think) is very often used with a subordinate clause introduced by 'dass' (that). The conjugated verb of the subordinate clause then comes at the end.
EXAMPLE
Der Experte meint, dass die Preise weiter steigen werden.
The expert thinks that prices will continue to rise.
Questions for clarification
In the meaning of 'sich beziehen auf' (to refer to), 'meinen' (to mean) is often used in questions to avoid misunderstandings. Typical questions are 'Wen meinst du?' (Who do you mean?) or 'Was meinst du damit?' (What do you mean by that?).
EXAMPLE
Meinst du den neuen Kollegen aus der Buchhaltung?
Do you mean the new colleague from accounting?
Typical collocations
To emphasize the seriousness of a statement, 'meinen' (to mean) is often combined with adverbs such as 'ernst' (seriously), 'ehrlich' (honestly), or 'wörtlich' (literally).
EXAMPLE
Glaub mir, ich meine das absolut ehrlich.
Believe me, I mean that absolutely honestly.
Fixed expression with dative
The idiom 'es gut mit jemandem meinen' (to mean well by someone) is a fixed structure. The person the good intentions are directed toward is always in the dative.
EXAMPLE
Deine Eltern meinen es nur gut mit dir.
Your parents only mean well by you.
Compare with
meinen vs finden
to find
Finden usually marks a personal evaluation of something or someone. Meinen expresses a more general opinion that one voices. Finden is especially suitable for a direct evaluation; when stating one’s opinion as a statement, meinen is an appropriate choice.
meinen
Ich meine, dass der neue Film sehr unterhaltsam ist.
I think the new film is very entertaining.
finden
Ich finde den neuen Film sehr unterhaltsam.
I find the new film very entertaining.
In real life
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