die Meinung
opinion
A personal view, attitude, or belief about a particular topic.
EXAMPLE
Jeder hat das Recht auf eine eigene Meinung.
Everyone has the right to their own opinion.
die Meinung
opinion
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Meanings
seine Meinung sagen
to speak one's mind
To express one's own view openly and directly.
EXAMPLE
Auch wenn es unbeliebt ist, werde ich meine Meinung sagen.
Even if it's unpopular, I will speak my mind.
eine hohe/gute Meinung von jemandem haben
to think highly/well of someone
To value someone highly or have a positive opinion of them.
EXAMPLE
Die Lehrerin hat eine hohe Meinung von ihren Schülern.
The teacher thinks highly of her students.
Usage tips
Expressing an opinion
To express your own opinion, the phrase 'Meiner Meinung nach ...' (in my opinion ...) is very common. Note that the verb comes directly after this phrase in position 2 of the main clause.
EXAMPLE
Meiner Meinung nach ist dieser Film sehr sehenswert.
In my opinion, this film is very worth seeing.
Fixed expression with 'sein'
Another common way to express an opinion is the structure 'der Meinung sein, dass ...' (to be of the opinion that ...). Here, a subordinate clause introduced by 'dass' follows.
EXAMPLE
Ich bin der Meinung, dass wir das Projekt verschieben sollten.
I am of the opinion that we should postpone the project.
Typical verbs
Common verbs used with 'Meinung' (opinion) are 'eine Meinung haben' (to have an opinion), 'sich eine Meinung bilden' (to form an opinion), and 'seine Meinung ändern' (to change one's opinion).
EXAMPLE
Es ist wichtig, sich vor einer Entscheidung eine eigene Meinung zu bilden.
It is important to form your own opinion before making a decision.
Evaluating someone
To express what you think about a person, you use the fixed phrase 'eine ... Meinung von jemandem haben' (to have a ... opinion of someone). The person is always in the dative after the preposition 'von'.
EXAMPLE
Er hat eine sehr schlechte Meinung von seinem Nachbarn.
He has a very poor opinion of his neighbor.
Compare with
Meinung vs Stimme
voice / vote
Die Meinung is the mental content of a personal standpoint. In a public debate, die Stimme usually refers more to a person or to their perceptible contribution expressing that standpoint. If you are asking about the view itself, use Meinung; if you are highlighting participation in the discourse, use Stimme.
Meinung
Ihre Meinung zur neuen Verkehrspolitik ist klar.
Her opinion on the new transportation policy is clear.
Stimme
Sie ist eine wichtige Stimme in der Debatte über die neue Verkehrspolitik.
She is an important voice in the debate about the new transportation policy.
In real life
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