Meintest

Meintest is the second person singular simple past tense form (Präteritum) of the German verb meinen, meaning to mean, to think, or to have in mind. It is used when conveying what someone thought, intended, or said in the past, or when recounting a past statement attributed to someone. The infinitive is meinen; the present tense for du is du meinst; other past tense forms include ich meinte, er meinte, wir meinten, ihr meintet, sie meinten. The past participle is gemeint, and the corresponding perfect tense is du hast gemeint.

Usage of meinst and meintest varies by formality and regional style. In written and narrative German, du meintest is commonly used to describe a past intention or belief. In everyday spoken German, the Perfekt form with haben plus gemeint is widespread: du hast gemeint, which often replaces the Präteritum in colloquial speech. Nevertheless, du meintest remains correct and frequent in contexts that prefer a past narrative or in more formal writing, especially when the sequence of events is being recounted.

Examples illustrate typical usage. Du meintest, wir sollten früher gehen. Meintest du wirklich, dass das eine gute Idee ist? Ich meinte, dass wir warten sollten. The form is also used in reported speech: Er meinte, sie kämen bald. Etymology: meinen derives from the same Proto-Germanic root as the English mean, with senses evolving from “to have in mind” to “to think, to intend, or to suppose.”

Related forms include die Bedeutung of meant in English and cognate terms in other West Germanic languages, such as Dutch menen.