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fluentbyear

GERMAN VERB

belehren

to teach someone better, to set someone right

  • Weak verb
  • Past participle: belehrt

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Präsens · now, habits and facts

  1. ich I teach someone better
  2. du you teach someone better
  3. er, sie, es he/she teaches someone better
  4. wir we teach someone better
  5. ihr you all teach someone better
  6. sie, Sie they teach someone better

Simple past

Präteritum · the past of writing, and of sein, haben and the modals in speech

  1. ich I taught someone better
  2. du you taught someone better
  3. er, sie, es he/she taught someone better
  4. wir we taught someone better
  5. ihr you all taught someone better
  6. sie, Sie they taught someone better

Perfect

Perfekt · the past of speech: “habe gemacht”

  1. ich I have taught someone better
  2. du you have taught someone better
  3. er, sie, es he/she has taught someone better
  4. wir we have taught someone better
  5. ihr you all have taught someone better
  6. sie, Sie they have taught someone better

Future

Futur I · “werden”; in speech the present with “morgen” does the job

  1. ich I will teach someone better
  2. du you will teach someone better
  3. er, sie, es he/she will teach someone better
  4. wir we will teach someone better
  5. ihr you all will teach someone better
  6. sie, Sie they will teach someone better

Conditional

Konjunktiv II · “would”: “würde”, and “wäre”, “hätte”, “könnte”

  1. ich I would teach someone better
  2. du you would teach someone better
  3. er, sie, es he/she would teach someone better
  4. wir we would teach someone better
  5. ihr you all would teach someone better
  6. sie, Sie they would teach someone better

Imperative

Imperativ · requests and orders: du, ihr, Sie

  1. du teach someone better!
  2. ihr teach someone better! (all of you)
  3. Sie teach someone better! (formal)

How to use belehren

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Mein Bruder belehrt mich ständig über gesundes Essen.

    My brother is constantly lecturing me about healthy eating.

  2. Simple past

    Der Zugbegleiter belehrte uns freundlich über die Regeln.

    The conductor politely instructed us on the rules.

  3. Perfect

    Das Ergebnis hat uns alle eines Besseren belehrt.

    The result proved us all wrong.

  4. Future

    Ich werde ihn nicht belehren, er ist erwachsen.

    I won't lecture him, he's an adult.

  5. Conditional

    Ich würde Gäste nie über ihre Manieren belehren.

    I'd never lecture guests about their manners.

  6. Imperative

    Belehr mich nicht, ich kenne die Regeln.

    Don't lecture me, I know the rules.

Good to know

  • Belehren often sounds preachy; jemanden eines Besseren belehren is to prove someone wrong.

Where you hear belehren

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

German · Fluency Level 3

  • Das Leben belehrt uns alle. Life teaches us all.
  • Sie haben mich eines Besseren belehrt. You taught me better.
  • Die Zeit wird uns belehren. Time will teach us.
12
What She Thought

Fluency Level 3 · Sie haben mich eines Besseren belehrt.

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Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: weak verb.