beten
pray
The German word 'beten' is used to express the act of praying or asking for something from a higher power. It is a verb that can be conjugated to reflect the tense, person, and number. For example, 'Ich bete' means 'I pray', 'Du betest' means 'You pray', and 'Er/Sie/Es betet' means 'He/She/It prays'. 'Beten' can also be used in a more general sense to mean 'to hope for' or 'to wish for', as in 'Ich bete, dass es morgen nicht regnet' (I hope/pray that it doesn't rain tomorrow).
Example sentences using: beten
Ich gehe in die Kirche um zu beten.
I go to church to pray.
In this sentence, 'beten' is used in the context of praying in a church, and it is framed by the action of going somewhere to do something.
Sie beten für Frieden auf der Welt.
They pray for peace in the world.
Here, 'beten' is used in the context of a group of people praying collectively with a specific intent. Note that in German, like in English, different prepositions are used with 'beten' depending on the context.
Bevor wir essen, müssen wir beten.
Before we eat, we must pray.
In this sentence, 'beten' is used in the context of a pre-meal prayer, a tradition in many cultures and religions around the world. The verb 'müssen' (must) is used to express obligation or necessity.