Belieben

Belieben is a German verb that literally conveys the idea of pleasing, wishing, or choosing. In contemporary usage it is largely literary or archaic, and not common in everyday speech. When speakers want to express preference or allowance in modern German, they typically use verbs such as mögen, wollen, or dürfen instead of belieben.

The term exists as a noun as well: das Belieben, meaning will, pleasure, or choice. This noun appears in fixed phrases such as nach Belieben, which translates to “as one pleases,” “at will,” or “to one’s liking.” The noun form is more widely recognized in present-day German than the verb form.

Usage and register: Belieben is primarily found in older literary texts, ceremonial language, or quoted passages. In standard modern German, its use is rare and it may be encountered as a stylistic or historical feature rather than a productive everyday verb. When conveying the sense of “as you wish” or “at will,” the phrase nach Belieben is the common contemporary alternative.

Origin and notes: The verb belieben is part of the historical German lexicon and is typically discussed in dictionaries as archaic or poetic. It is connected to the semantic field of will and pleasure that also informs the related noun Belieben. For most practical purposes, readers and writers use more common expressions to convey preference or permission, reserving belieben for quotations, translations of older texts, or stylistic effects. See also: nach Belieben; Belieben (noun).