ENGLISH
REFERENCE

believe in sb/sth

phr. v..
A2 Elementary Oxford

phr. v.. To feel sure that someone is good or can do something well. It can also mean you are sure that something, like an idea or a ghost, is real or true.

phr. v.. To have faith in the existence of something or to trust in the abilities, value, or truthfulness of someone or something. This is a transitive phrasal verb.


SIMPLE

I believe in you; you can do it.

CONTEXTUAL

She doesn't believe in ghosts, but she enjoys hearing spooky stories about them.

COMPLEX

To succeed, the team had to truly believe in the unconventional strategy proposed by their new coach, despite initial skepticism from the press.

Particles
in
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
believe + in + object
Usage

The object is typically a person, a concept (like 'honesty'), or a supernatural or abstract entity.

Teaching tip

Contrast with 'believe someone' (accepting their statement as true) versus 'believe in someone' (trusting their character or potential).

Pitfall

I believe in that we can win.I believe that we can win.Use 'believe in' with a noun or noun phrase, but use 'believe' alone before a 'that' clause.

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