vertraue

Vertraue is a conjugated form of the German verb vertrauen, which means to trust or to have confidence in someone or something. vertrauen governs a dative object, as in ich vertraue dir (I trust you). The form ver Strauss? No, the verb uses standard German conjugation patterns.

Grammatical notes: Vertraue can appear in several moods and tenses. In present tense, the first-person singular form is ich vertraue. In the Konjunktiv I (used for indirect speech), the third-person singular is er vertraue, which may be used in reported statements like “Sie sagt, er vertraue ihr.” In ordinary present-tense third-person speech you would normally say er vertraut. The imperative in the second person singular is commonly realized as Vertraue mir or Trau mir, both meaning “trust me,” with slight stylistic nuance.

Usage and nuance: Vertraue expresses cognitive trust or confidence directed at a person, object, or proposition. It often appears in personal or persuasive contexts. Related terms include Vertrauen (the noun meaning trust or confidence) and Treue (loyalty). German expressions such as Vertrauen schenken (to place one’s trust) and auf jemanden vertrauen (to rely on someone) reflect common collocations around this concept.

Etymology: vertrauen derives from the root treu (loyal, faithful) with the German prefix ver-, linking to related words like Treue and Treuheit in the broader semantic field of fidelity and truth. The word family shares cognates with other Germanic languages, including English true and true-related forms.

See also: Vertrauen, Treue, Treue.