believe – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of believe

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to believe
Participle: believed
Gerund: believing

Cognates

-

Indicative

Present

Ibelieve
youbelieve
he;she;itbelieves
webelieve
youbelieve
theybelieve

Perfect

Ihave believed
youhave believed
he;she;ithas believed
wehave believed
youhave believed
theyhave believed

Past

Ibelieved
youbelieved
he;she;itbelieved
webelieved
youbelieved
theybelieved

Pluperfect

Ihad believed
youhad believed
he;she;ithad believed
wehad believed
youhad believed
theyhad believed

Future

Iwill believe
youwill believe
he;she;itwill believe
wewill believe
youwill believe
theywill believe

Future Perfect

Iwill have believed
youwill have believed
he;she;itwill have believed
wewill have believed
youwill have believed
theywill have believed

Subjunctive

Present

Ibelieve
youbelieve
he;she;itbelieve
webelieve
youbelieve
theybelieve

Perfect

Ihave believed
youhave believed
he;she;ithave believed
wehave believed
youhave believed
theyhave believed

Imperfect

Ibelieved
youbelieved
he;she;itbelieved
webelieved
youbelieved
theybelieved

Pluperfect

Ihad believed
youhad believed
he;she;ithad believed
wehad believed
youhad believed
theyhad believed

Conditional

Present

Iwould believe
youwould believe
he;she;itwould believe
wewould believe
youwould believe
theywould believe

Perfect

Iwould have believed
youwould have believed
he;she;itwould have believed
wewould have believed
youwould have believed
theywould have believed

Imperative

youbelieve
weLet's believe
youbelieve

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

Iam believing
youare believing
he;she;itis believing
weare believing
youare believing
theyare believing

Perfect

Ihave been believing
youhave been believing
he;she;ithas been believing
wehave been believing
youhave been believing
theyhave been believing

Past

Iwas believing
youwere believing
he;she;itwas believing
wewere believing
youwere believing
theywere believing

Pluperfect

Ihad been believing
youhad been believing
he;she;ithad been believing
wehad been believing
youhad been believing
theyhad been believing

Future

Iwill be believing
youwill be believing
he;she;itwill be believing
wewill be believing
youwill be believing
theywill be believing

Future Perfect

Iwill have been believing
youwill have been believing
he;she;itwill have been believing
wewill have been believing
youwill have been believing
theywill have been believing

Conditional

Present

Iwould be believing
youwould be believing
he;she;itwould be believing
wewould be believing
youwould be believing
theywould be believing

Perfect

Iwould have been believing
youwould have been believing
he;she;itwould have been believing
wewould have been believing
youwould have been believing
theywould have been believing

Other

Verbs similar to 'believe'

relieve, alieve, belave, beleave, belee, belie, belike, belime, belove, besiege,

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

assume
suppose, gather, guess, think, presume, trust

Antonyms

assume
relinquish, surrender, concede

Additional Information

Phrasal Verbs

Etymology

1. O.E. belyfan, earlier geleafa (Mercian), gelefa (Northumbrian), gelyfan (W.Saxon) "believe," from P.Gmc. *ga-laubjan "hold dear, love," from PIE base *leubh- "to like, desire" (see love). Spelling beleeve is common till 17c.; then altered perhaps by influence of relieve. As a synonym for "Christian," believer is attested from 1549. To believe on instead of in was more common in 16c. but now is a peculiarity of theology; believe of also sometimes was used in 17c.
2. Etymology tree
3. Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der.
4. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épsder.
5. Proto-Indo-European *h₁epider.
6. Proto-Indo-European *h₁pi
7. Proto-Germanic *bider.
8. Proto-Germanic *bi-
9. Proto-West Germanic *bi-
10. Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ-der.
11. Proto-Germanic *laubō
12. Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
13. Proto-Germanic *-janą
14. Proto-Germanic *laubijaną
15. Proto-West Germanic *laubijan
16. Proto-West Germanic *bilaubijan
17. Old English belīefan
18. Middle English bileven
19. English believe
20. From Middle English beleven, bileven, from Old English belīefan (“to believe”), from Proto-West Germanic *bilaubijan (“to believe”), equivalent to be- + leave (“to give leave or permission to, permit, allow, grant”). Cognate with Scots beleve (“to believe”), Old Frisian bilēva (“to permit”), Middle Dutch beloven (“to believe, entrust”), Middle Low German belö̂ven (“to believe”), Middle High German belouben (“to believe”).
21. A related term in Old English was ġelīefan (“to be dear to; believe, trust”), from Proto-West Germanic *galaubijan (“to have faith, believe”), from Proto-Germanic *galaubijaną. Compare also Old English ġelēafa (“belief, faith, confidence, trust”), Old English lēof ("dear, valued, beloved, pleasant, agreeable" > English lief). Related also to North Frisian leauwjen (“to believe”), Saterland Frisian leeuwe (“to believe”), West Frisian leauwe (“to believe”), Dutch geloven (“to believe”), German Low German glöven (“to believe”), German glauben (“to believe”), Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌾𐌰𐌽 (galaubjan, “to hold dear, valuable, or satisfactory, approve of, believe”).
22. The prepositionally transitive senses with in are a semantic loan from Latin crēdō in aliquem / aliquid. See: Middle High German 'belouben', Proto-Germanic '*galaubijaną', English 'lief', Frisian, Saterlandic 'leeuwe', Dutch 'geloven', German, old spelling 'glauben'.

Verbs referencing "believe"

German, old spelling glauben, Sranan bribi, Cebuano belib.

Sample Sentences

  • [...] upon and crushed, for presuming to inquire with a timid interest how long it is since the poor President went down. He is standing close to the lazy gentleman, and says with a faint smile that he believes She is a very strong Ship; to which the lazy gentleman, looking first in his questioner 's eye and then very hard in the wind 's, answers unexpectedly and ominously, that She need be. Upon this the [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • At this, I really thought the waiter must have gone out of his mind: as I believe he would have done, but for the interposition of another man, who whispered in his ear, ‘Directly. ’ (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] sprinkled and dropped about in all directions, without seeming to have any root at all in the ground; and the small churches and chapels are so prim, and bright, and highly varnished; that I almost believed the whole affair could be taken up piecemeal like a child 's toy, and crammed into a little box. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • Above all, I sincerely believe that the public institutions and charities of this capital of Massachusetts are as nearly perfect, as the most considerate wisdom, benevolence, and humanity, can make them. I never in my life was [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • “ O, George, we must have faith. Mistress says that when all things go wrong to us, we must believe that God is doing the very best. ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • “ Well, then, Eliza, hear my plan. Mas’r took it into his head to send me right by here, with a note to Mr. Symmes, that lives a mile past. I believe he expected I should come here to tell you what I have. It would please him, if he thought it would aggravate ’ Shelby's folks, ’ as he calls ’ em. I 'm going home quite resigned, you understand, as [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] from the simple but most interesting and instructive history of Laura Bridgman. The name of her great benefactor and friend, who writes it, is Dr. Howe. There are not many persons, I hope and believe, who, after reading these passages, can ever hear that name with indifference. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] Indeed her sense of touch is now so exquisite, that having been acquainted with a person once, she can recognise him or her after almost any interval. This gentleman had been in her company, I believe, but very seldom, and certainly had not seen her for many months. My hand she rejected at once, as she does that of any man who is a stranger to her. But she retained my wife 's with evident [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • “ Lor, Missis ! Lizy's drawers is all open, and her things all lying every which way; and I believe she's just done clared out ! ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] and to have an interest in the proceedings, is most fully and distinctly recognised. There are no grim door-keepers to dole out their tardy civility by the sixpenny-worth; nor is there, I sincerely believe, any insolence of office of any kind. Nothing national is exhibited for money; and no public officer is a showman. We have begun of late years to imitate this good example. I hope we shall [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • And then I just show up by myself ? Why would they believe me ? People believe what they want to believe. (Uglies)
  • You know that ? Pen? Penny? Hey. Look at me. I believe in you. (Dear Luke, Love Me)
  • I presume they believe that the only way to get rid of the evidence is to kill me. (Once Upon a Time in Hollyweird)
  • First salary We experienced everything there Many people believed in the market (Magudam)