All German word comparisons · Back to the topic overview
Meaning, sentence patterns and examples
| Word | Core meaning | Typical context | Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|
| denken | think; have in mind | Thoughts, beliefs and remembering someone | Irregular, inseparable: denkt, dachte, hat gedacht. |
| nachdenken | reflect; think about | Taking time over a question or problem | Separable: denkt nach, dachte nach, hat nachgedacht. |
| überdenken | consider carefully; reconsider | Plans, decisions and positions | Inseparable: überdenkt, überdachte, hat überdacht. |
| bedenken | consider; take into account | Relevant circumstances before acting | Inseparable: bedenkt, bedachte, hat bedacht. |
denken
Meaning and usage: Denken covers mental activity and expressing a belief. Denken an places a person or thing in your thoughts; denken, dass introduces what you believe. It can also express your opinion about a topic. It is the broadest verb here, so the accompanying phrase does much of the work.
Grammar: Irregular, inseparable: denkt, dachte, hat gedacht. An + accusative for having something in mind; a dass-clause for a belief.
Ich denke oft an meine erste Lehrerin.
I often think about my first teacher.
nachdenken
Meaning and usage: Nachdenken suggests spending mental effort on a matter. It need not produce a decision or a changed opinion. The topic normally follows über. This verb is useful when you want time to reflect rather than immediately agree. It does not itself mean think again; that needs the surrounding context or noch einmal.
Grammar: Separable: denkt nach, dachte nach, hat nachgedacht. Über + accusative; zu-infinitive nachzudenken.
Ich denke noch über deinen Vorschlag nach.
I am still thinking about your proposal.
überdenken
Meaning and usage: Überdenken makes a plan, decision or situation the direct object of careful consideration. It is common when reviewing a position, but changing it is not guaranteed. You can thoroughly überdenken something and keep the original decision. This is a useful way to distinguish reconsidering from actually revising.
Grammar: Inseparable: überdenkt, überdachte, hat überdacht. Direct accusative object; zu-infinitive zu überdenken.
Wir müssen den Zeitplan noch einmal überdenken.
We need to reconsider the schedule.
bedenken
Meaning and usage: Bedenken often draws attention to a fact that should influence a decision. It also means think a matter through more generally. In Bedenke, dass … the speaker asks you to bear a circumstance in mind. A separate meaning concerns giving someone something; this lesson focuses on mental consideration.
Grammar: Inseparable: bedenkt, bedachte, hat bedacht. Accusative object or dass-clause; etwas zu bedenken geben is an established expression.
Bedenke bitte, dass der Zug sonntags später fährt.
Please bear in mind that the train runs later on Sundays.
Overlap and context
Nachdenken, überdenken and bedenken can all describe serious consideration. A useful practical distinction is the sentence frame: über den Plan nachdenken versus den Plan überdenken. Do not turn that grammatical difference into an absolute difference in the depth of thought.
Common mistakes
- Write Ich denke darüber nach with the separated nach at the end of a simple main clause.
- Do not separate überdenken: Ich überdenke den Plan, not Ich denke den Plan über.
- Bedenken does not mean regret. A person may take a risk into account without feeling sorry about it.
Memory aid: An keeps someone in mind; über … nach gives a topic for reflection; a direct object suits überdenken or bedenken.
Try it
Complete: Ich denke über die Entscheidung ___: nach or über?
Show the answer
nach
The separable verb nachdenken takes über as the topic preposition; its prefix moves to the clause end.