scheinen
Translation
to seem, to appear, to shine
Examples
Die Sonne scheint heute.
The sun is shining today.
Er scheint ein netter Mensch zu sein.
He seems to be a nice person.
Es scheint, als ob er recht hätte.
It seems as if he were right.
Grammar Patterns
(( )) to shine (of a light source) The sun shines.
((+ zu + infinitive)) to seem to do sth. He seems to be sleeping.
((sb.dat)) to seem to sb. It seems to me to be a good idea.
Similar Words
Synonyms: wirken (to seem), leuchten (to shine)
Etymology
From Old High German 'scīnan', related to English 'shine'. The meaning 'to seem' developed from 'to appear' or 'to show'.
Memory Tips
The sun 'shines' (scheint) and 'appears' (scheint) in the sky. Connect the two meanings of light and appearance.