Expressing Opinions

A German opinion often begins with a softener — a conversational handshake. Going straight to your point can sound abrupt; landing it after a soft opener sounds engaged. Here is the ladder, from softest to firmest:

Opener	Strength	Sense
Ich denke / glaube, dass…	weak	I think / believe that…
Ich würde sagen, …	weak-soft	I'd say…
Meiner Meinung nach…	neutral	In my opinion…
Aus meiner Sicht…	neutral-firm	From my point of view…
Für mich, …	personal-firm	For me, …
Ehrlich gesagt, …	honest-firm	Honestly, …
Ich bin überzeugt, dass…	firm	I'm convinced that…
Ohne Frage / Zweifellos…	firmest	Without question…

Match the opener to its sense

Which is firmer?

Fill the gap

Say it in German

Order the words