German Phrase
Vertrau deinem Bauchgefühl.
Meaning
‘Trust your gut feeling.’ The sentence encourages someone to rely on their intuition rather than over‑analyzing a situation. It carries a friendly, supportive tone.
When to use
Use this phrase when giving informal advice, especially in personal or creative contexts – e.g., before a job interview, a creative project, or a life decision. It works well in casual conversation among friends or colleagues.
✦Grammar Breakdown
VertraudeinemBauchgefühl
Imperative (du) of vertrauen
‘Vertrau’ is the informal singular imperative of the verb ‘vertrauen’ (to trust). It drops the ‘-e’ of the infinitive and is used when speaking to a friend or peer.
Dative object
‘vertrauen’ requires a dative object, so the possessive article ‘deinem’ is in the dative case (masculine/neuter).
Bauchgefühl (neuter)
‘Bauchgefühl’ is a neuter compound noun (das Bauchgefühl). In the dative it becomes ‘dem Bauchgefühl’, but with the possessive it is ‘deinem Bauchgefühl’.
🗨In Conversation
Ich weiß nicht, ob ich den Job annehmen soll.
I don’t know if I should take the job.
Vertrau deinem Bauchgefühl.
Trust your gut feeling.
✕Common Mistakes
Vertraue deinem Bauchgefühl.
‘Vertraue’ is the formal imperative (Sie) or the singular ‘du’ with an extra ‘e’; in informal speech the correct form is ‘Vertrau’.
Vertrau dein Bauchgefühl.
‘Vertrauen’ takes a dative object, so the possessive must be dative ‘deinem’, not nominative ‘dein’.
Vertrau dem Bauchgefühl.
If you use the article without a possessive, the dative form is ‘dem Bauchgefühl’, not ‘das Bauchgefühl’.
↔Alternatives
Hör auf dein Bauchgefühl.
Listen to your gut feeling.
Vertraue deinem Instinkt.
Trust your instinct.
Folge deinem Gefühl.
Follow your feeling.
Cultural Tip
‘Bauchgefühl’ is a common German idiom used in business, sports and everyday life. It is informal, so keep it in casual settings. In more formal contexts you might prefer ‘Vertrauen Sie Ihrem Bauchgefühl’ or the more neutral ‘Vertrauen Sie Ihrem Instinkt’.