The Meaning of shinjiru [信じる] In Japanese

信じる
しんじる
Romaji: shinjiru N5

What does 信じる mean?

Translation and Meaning

to believe, to trust, to have faith in

Definition

信じる means to believe or trust in someone or something, to accept as true or reliable, and to rely on that person or statement in everyday life.

Type

verb (五段動詞, godan)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • belief in the truth of a statement or idea, often without absolute proof
  • trust or confidence placed in a person, claim, or source
  • to rely on or depend on someone or something in a situation
  • to believe wholeheartedly or with conviction, sometimes implying faith more than evidence

Composition

  • 信: left-side person radical + right-side speech; together they symbolize someone’s word being credible, hence trust
  • じる: native verb-forming suffix that turns a concept into the action of believing or doing the act of belief

Usage

Used across formal, neutral, and casual speech, 信じる attaches to nouns, propositions, or people; in religious context it can express faith, while in everyday talk it covers accepting information, promises, or outcomes as true.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture a person (left) speaking with conviction (right); you decide to rely on what they say, so you believe them — 信じる.

Variations

  • 信頼する (shinrai suru) — to trust, with emphasis on reliability
  • 信用する (shinyou suru) — to credit or rely on in formal contexts
  • 疑う (utagau) — to doubt
  • 信じ込む (shinjikomu) — to be convinced or to fall for something, sometimes without evidence

Example Phrases

  • 私は 友だちの 話を 信じる か 迷う。
    Watashi wa tomodachi no hanashi o shinjiru ka mayou.
    I wonder whether to believe my friend’s story.
    Lista:
    • 私は (watashi wa) – I
    • 友だちの (tomodachi no) – of my friend
    • 話を (hanashi o) – story
    • 信じる (shinjiru) – to believe
    • か (ka) – whether
    • 迷う (mayou) – to hesitate
    Here 「信じる」 means ‘to believe,’ used with か to form a yes/no question about whether to believe the friend’s story.
信じる