What does "sich etwas einbilden" mean?

Question

Please help me with my homework!

I need to write a personal sentence using "sich etwas einbilden". So it needs to be something like: Ich bilde mir ______ ein ...

I don't really understand what "sich einbilden" means. Is it one of those things that doesn't translate well into English? Can you help me?

Answer 1

That is really an ambiguous phrase...

Both answers above are correct:

Meaning 1: To imagine sth:

Ich bilde mir ein, dass ich einmal berühmt bin.

I imagine I will be famous one day.

Meaning 2: To be smug about sth:

Sie bildet sich ein, dass sie schön ist.

She thinks that she is beatiful.

And there is an additional meaning 3: To fancy sth:

Ich bilde mir einen neuen Computer ein.

I fancy a new computer.

Answer 2

sich etwas einbilden means simply to imagine something

Ich bilde mir ein Du bist ein Junge.

Ich bilde mir schoene Dinge ein.

Answer 3

Einbilden means you believe in something that is not true and has some negative touch so you would rarely say this about your self...you would probalby say : Sie bildet sich ein, sie sieht gut aus (she thinks she is good looking)  "er bildet sich ein ich mag ihn" (he thinks I fancy him)..or when you regret something you have done you might say "I habe mir eingebildet das sei eine gute Idee" (I thought that would be a good idea). Generally speaking Einbildung is an opionion you have about yourself that don't necessarily has to be true.