gehören
Translation
belonged to, was part of, pertained to
Examples
Das Buch gehörte meiner Schwester.
The book belonged to my sister.
Er gehörte zu den besten Spielern.
He was one of the best players.
Grammar Patterns
((j-m)) gehören to belong to sb. The house belonged to my grandparents.
((zu+3)) gehören to be part of sth. She belonged to the board of directors.
Similar Words
Synonyms: angehören, zustehen
Etymology
From prefix ge- + hören (to hear). The sense evolved from 'to be heard as part of' to 'to belong to'.
Memory Tips
Think of it as 'being heard' as part of a group. If you are heard among them, you belong with them.