meinte

Meinte is the simple past tense form of the German verb meinen, meaning to think, to hold an opinion, or to mean something in a given sense. The form meinte is used with first and third person singular subjects in the past tense: ich meinte, er meinte. The full conjugation in Präteritum is: ich meinte, du meintest, er/sie/es meinte, wir meinten, ihr meintet, sie meinten.

Usage is typical in narrative prose and reported speech, where a past belief, intention, or statement is conveyed. For example: Ich meinte, dass wir pünktlich kommen würden. The precise meaning depends on context, and meinte can express either what someone thought at that time or what they intended to communicate.

Difference from Dutch: In Dutch, the corresponding tenses use different forms. The present tense for third person singular is meent (hij meent), and the past tense is meende. The form meinte is not a standard Dutch conjugation, illustrating a key distinction between the two languages’ past-tense systems.

Etymology and usage notes: Meinen derives from Germanic roots, and the Präteritum form meinte has long been used in German to indicate past belief or statement. It remains common in both written and spoken German, particularly in narrative or direct speech where past thought or intention is reported.

Limitation: The term meinte has no independent meaning aside from being a verb form; it is not used as a standalone noun or widely as a proper name in standard usage.