believe
gb/bɪlˈiv/ us/bɪlˈiv/
A2
English
~ 300
elhisz, bevesz, úgy gondol, bízik, hisz
VERB
A2
1
Usage pattern:
to believe [something]
I believe her explanation about what happened.
Elhiszem a magyarázatát a történtekről.
Many scientists believe the climate is changing rapidly.
Sok tudós úgy gondolja, hogy az éghajlat gyorsan változik.
He believes the rumors without checking the facts.
They believe the story because it came from a trusted source.
Learner examples
I believe your words.
Elhiszem a szavaidat.
She believes the news.
Elhiszi a hírt.
They believe the story.
We believe his answer.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'believe' with 'think' in all cases. 'Believe' is more about accepting truth, while 'think' is about having an opinion.
Meaning
Accept something as true
Collocations
firmly believe
|truly believe
|believe strongly
|believe wholeheartedly
Synonyms
accept (Focuses on agreeing that something is true without necessarily feeling strongly about it.)
Antonyms
doubt (Means to feel uncertain about whether something is true.)
Themes
thinking
|truth
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To think that something is true.
To accept or be convinced that something is true or real.
VERB
A2
2
Usage pattern:
to believe in [someone/something]
I believe in my team's ability to win.
Bízom benne, hogy a csapatom képes nyerni.
She believes in her children and supports their dreams.
Hisz a gyerekeiben, és támogatja az álmaikat.
They believe in freedom of speech.
We all need to believe in ourselves.
Learner examples
I believe in you.
Hiszek benned.
She believes in her friends.
Bízik a barátaiban.
They believe in love.
We believe in our school.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes omit 'in' when talking about trust, saying 'I believe you' when they mean 'I believe in you'. These have different meanings.
Meaning
Have trust or faith in
Collocations
believe in yourself
|believe in miracles
|believe in justice
Synonyms
trust (Implies reliance on someone's reliability or honesty.)
Antonyms
mistrust (Means to have no trust or confidence in someone or something.)
Themes
trust
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To trust someone or something.
To have trust or confidence in the abilities, character, or truthfulness of someone or something.
VERB
A2
3
hisz
A2
Usage pattern:
to believe in [something]
Do you believe in life on other planets?
Hiszel abban, hogy van élet más bolygókon?
Many people believe in God.
Sokan hisznek Istenben.
Some children still believe in Santa Claus.
Learner examples
I believe in God.
Hiszek Istenben.
She believes in Santa Claus.
Hisz a Mikulásban.
They believe in ghosts.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with trusting someone. 'Believe in God' means you think God exists, not that you trust God.
Meaning
Think something exists
Collocations
believe in ghosts
|believe in God
|believe in aliens
Synonyms
accept the existence of (A more formal way to say you think something exists.)
Antonyms
disbelieve (To reject the idea that something exists.)
Themes
beliefs
|religion
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To think something is real, even without proof.
To think that someone or something exists, especially without proof.
VERB
A2
4
hisz
A2
Usage pattern:
to believe [someone]
I can't believe you after what happened last time.
Nem tudok hinni neked azok után, ami a múltkor történt.
We believed him when he said he was innocent.
Hittünk neki, amikor azt mondta, hogy ártatlan.
Do you really believe her? She has lied before.
Learner examples
I believe you.
Hiszek neked.
She believes him.
Hisz neki.
They believe her words.
Common mistake:
'Believe someone' means you think their words are true. It is different from 'believe in someone', which means you trust their ability or character.
Meaning
Be convinced by someone's words
Collocations
hard to believe someone
|easily believe someone
Synonyms
trust (In this case, specifically trusting the truth of someone's words.)
Antonyms
disbelieve (Refusing to accept what someone says as true.)
Themes
communication
|trust
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To think what someone says is true.
To accept what someone says as true without requiring proof.
Grammar
Dictionary form
believe
IPA
GB/bɪlˈiv/
US/bɪlˈiv/
Syllables & stress
be - lieve (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (lieve)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: believe
- 3rd Person Singular: believes
- Present Participle: believing
- Past: believed
Word family
Forms
believes
verb
believing
verb
believed
verb
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
believability
noun
believably
adverb C1
Expressions
believe it or not
1/bɪlˈiv ˈɪt ˈɔɹ nˈɑt/
fixed phrase
Surprising but true statement
Used to say that what follows is surprising but true.
Examples
- Believe it or not, he has never used a smartphone.
- Believe it or not, she ran the marathon without training.
believe you me
1/bɪlˈiv jˈu mˈi/
idiom
informal
Emphasize truth of statement
Used to tell someone that what you are saying is really true.
Examples
- Believe you me, this job is harder than it looks.
- Believe you me, you don't want to miss this opportunity.
can't believe one's eyes/ears
1/kˈænt bɪlˈiv wˈʌnz isˈɛɹz/
idiom
informal
Extremely surprised by sight or sound
To be very surprised by what you see or hear.
Examples
- I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the price of the car.
- She couldn't believe her ears when they told her the news.
make believe
1/mˈeɪk bɪlˈiv/
fixed phrase
Pretend for fun
To pretend something is real as part of a game or story.
Examples
- The children were making believe they were pirates.
- Let's make believe we're astronauts exploring space.