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JAPANESE VERB

しんじる

信じる

to believe

  • #238 most used
  • Ichidan verb (ru-verb)

Conjugation

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

Present and future

now, habits, and what is to come

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI believe
NegativeI don’t believe

Past

finished actions

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI believed
NegativeI didn’t believe

Te-form

て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests

Form Polite Plain
て-formbelieving, and…
Doing now (て います)I am believing
Please (て ください)please believe

Potential

可能形 · “can”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI can believe
NegativeI can’t believe

Want to

たい形 · “want to”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI want to believe
NegativeI don’t want to believe

Volitional

意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”

Form Polite Plain
Let’slet’s believe

Conditional

条件形 · “if” and “when”

  1. If (ば) if I believe
  2. If, when (たら) if I believe

Commands and requests

命令形 · from gentle to blunt

  1. Do it (なさい) believe (do it)
  2. Plain command believe!
  3. Please don’t please don’t believe

Passive and causative

受身形・使役形 · “is done”, “make someone do”

Form Polite Plain
PassiveI am believed
CausativeI make someone believe

How to use しんじる

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

  1. Present and future

    わたし は うらない を しんじません。

    I don't believe in fortune-telling.

  2. Past

    かれ の ことば を、 さいご まで しんじた。

    I believed his words to the very end.

  3. Te-form

    むすこ の ちから を しんじて います。

    I believe in my son's ability.

  4. Potential

    えっ、 そんな はなし、 しんじられない！

    What? I can't believe a story like that!

  5. Want to

    なかま を しんじたい けれど、 しょうこ が ない。

    I want to believe my friends, but there's no proof.

  6. Volitional

    せんせい の ことば を しんじよう。

    Let's trust what the teacher says.

  7. Conditional

    じぶん を しんじれば、 きっと できる。

    If you believe in yourself, you can surely do it.

  8. Commands and requests

    しらない ひと の はなし を、 かんたん に しんじないで。

    Don't be quick to believe what strangers tell you.

  9. Passive and causative

    サンタ が いる と、 むすめ に しんじさせて います。

    We let our daughter believe Santa exists.

Good to know

  • しんじる takes を: ともだち を しんじる, to trust a friend; かみ を しんじる, to believe in God.
  • しんじられない！ "I can't believe it!" is how you react to startling news.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: ichidan verb (ru-verb).