Believe In: Credo in unum Deum

Level 4

Credo in Deum: I believe in God. Credo tibi: I believe you.

How It Works

PatternLatinMeaning
credere and the dativeCredo tibi.I believe you.
credere and a neuter accusativeCredis hoc?Do you believe this?
credere in and the accusativeCredo in unum Deum.I believe in one God.

The in pattern is the Church's way to speak of faith: to believe in someone and put your trust in them. Roman authors use the dative for trusting a person. After credere, in usually takes the accusative, as it does when it means into: in Deum, in eum, in me.

1 John 5:10 has two patterns in one verse: Qui credit in Filium Dei (whoever believes in the Son of God) and Qui non credit Filio (whoever does not believe the Son), with the dative Filio.

Examples (5)

  1. Credo in unum Deum.

    I believe in one God.

    The first words of the Creed at Mass. Unum Deum is accusative after in.

  2. Creditis in Deum, et in me credite.

    You believe in God; believe also in me.

    John 14:1. Deum and me are accusative after in.

  3. Qui credit in Filium Dei, habet testimonium Dei in se.

    Whoever believes in the Son of God has the witness of God in himself.

    1 John 5:10. Filium is accusative after in.

  4. Credis hoc?

    Do you believe this?

    John 11:26. Hoc is a neuter accusative: the thing believed.

  5. Magister discipulis non credit.

    The teacher does not believe the students.

    The dative discipulis, as Roman authors write it: he does not trust what they say.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the words after in in the nominative.

    Credo in unus Deus.
    Credo in unum Deum.

    In takes the accusative here, so unus Deus becomes unum Deum.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Believe In: Credo in unum DeumLevel 4

Learn This First

Credo takes the dative for a person and in with the accusative for faith, so both patterns come first.

Words in This Pattern

credoin