beten

Beten is a German verb meaning to pray. It is widely used in religious contexts across German-speaking communities and in private devotional practices. The related noun das Beten refers to the act of praying, as in religious services or personal devotion.

Conjugation and usage: In the present tense, it is ich bete, du betest, er betet, wir beten, ihr betet, sie beten. The simple past (Präteritum) forms are ich betete, du betetest, er betete, wir beteten, ihr betetet, sie beteten. The past participle is gebetet, and the present perfect is ich habe gebetet. The imperative forms are bete! and betet! Example sentences: Ich bete jeden Abend vor dem Schlafengehen. Er betet gemeinsam mit der Gemeinde. Das Beten wird in vielen Religionen als Form der Kommunikation mit dem Göttlichen verstanden.

Etymology and related terms: Beten originates from early Germanic usage and is closely related to the noun Gebet, meaning prayer. This link reflects its core meaning as a speech or act directed toward a higher power.

Other languages and disambiguation: In Dutch, beten is not used with the meaning of praying; it is a past tense form of bijten (to bite) and thus linguistically distinct from the German verb. Therefore, in multilingual contexts, beten can refer to German prayer or, in Dutch texts, to a form of bijten depending on grammatical usage.

See also: Gebet, das Gebetbuch.