ich habe dir vertraut
/ɪç ˈhaːbə diːɐ̯ fɛɐ̯ˈtʁaʊ̯t/word by word
The English phrase "I trusted you" is translated into German as ich habe dir vertraut.
This phrase is used to tell someone that you believed in their honesty or reliability in the past.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is literally constructed as "I have to you trusted" (ich habe dir vertraut).
Which one should you use?
While ich habe dir vertraut is the standard way to express the past in spoken German, ich vertraute dir is the Präteritum form used primarily in written literature or formal storytelling.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb vertrauen requires the dative case, so "you" is expressed as dir (dative) rather than the accusative dich.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɪç ˈhaːbə diːɐ̯ fɛɐ̯ˈtʁaʊ̯t/
Did you know?
- In German, the word Vertrauen can be used as a noun meaning 'trust', but the phrase Vertrauen schenken literally means 'to give the gift of trust'.
- In German, you can distinguish between vertrauen (trusting someone's character) and verlassen (relying on someone's actions), often used in the phrase sich auf jemanden verlassen.
- In high-stakes emotional situations, a German speaker might omit the ich and simply say habe dir vertraut, which adds a heavy, breathless quality to the accusation of betrayal.
Examples in context
- Ich habe dir vertraut, Tom.I trusted you, Tom.This sentence shows how to address someone by name using ich habe dir vertraut.Tatoeba #12110094 by Naina, translation #6663767 by CK
- Ich habe dir vertraut, weil du mein Freund bist.I trusted you because you are my friend.This sentence uses ich habe dir vertraut to explain the reason for the trust.Tatoeba #11354833 by carlosalberto, translation #11354784 by carlosalberto
- Susanne, ich habe dir vertraut und du hast mich enttäuscht.Susanne, I trusted you, and you disappointed me.
- Herr Müller, ich habe Ihnen vertraut, aber nun bin ich enttäuscht von Ihren Handlungen.Mr. Müller, I trusted you, but now I am disappointed by your actions.
- Ich habe dir vertraut, aber du hast mich belogen.I trusted you, but you lied to me.
Example conversation
Sarah confronts Felix about a broken promise in a café.
- SarahWarum hast du das getan?Why did you do that?
- FelixEs tut mir leid, Sarah.I am sorry, Sarah.
- SarahIch habe dir vertraut!I trusted you!
- FelixDas war ein großer Fehler von mir.That was a big mistake on my part.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ich, Habe, dir, vertraut) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
