die  Bewegung

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/bəˈveːɡʊŋ/

🏃‍♀️ What does "die Bewegung" mean?

The word die Bewegung is a feminine noun with several meanings:

• Physical movement/Change of position: This is the most common meaning. It describes the action of moving or the change in location or position of a body or object. Example: Tägliche Bewegung ist gesund. (Daily movement/exercise is healthy.)
• Social or political group/movement: It can also refer to a group of people pursuing common goals (often political, social, or cultural). Example: Die Umweltbewegung fordert strengere Gesetze. (The environmental movement demands stricter laws.)
• Inner stir/Emotion: Sometimes it's used to describe an inner, emotional stir or impulse. Example: Seine Worte lösten eine tiefe Bewegung in ihr aus. (His words caused a deep emotion/stir within her.)
• Mechanics/Physics: In a technical context, it describes the way something moves (e.g., the Bewegung of a clockwork).

🚨 Attention: Although there are multiple meanings, the article is always die.

Article rules for der, die, and das

📜 Grammar in Detail: The Declension of Bewegung

The noun "Bewegung" is feminine. Here are the declension tables:

Example Sentences

• Die Bewegung des Tänzers war elegant. (The dancer's movement was elegant.)
• Wir untersuchen die Auswirkungen der Bewegung. (We are investigating the effects of the movement.)
• Er folgte der Bewegung mit seinen Augen. (He followed the movement with his eyes.)
• Sie beobachtete die Bewegung der Wolken. (She watched the movement of the clouds.)
• Die verschiedenen politischen Bewegungen diskutierten ihre Ziele. (The various political movements discussed their goals.)
• Die Geschichte der sozialen Bewegungen ist faszinierend. (The history of social movements is fascinating.)
• Man schloss sich den revolutionären Bewegungen an. (People joined the revolutionary movements.)
• Der Film zeigt die schnellen Bewegungen der Tiere. (The film shows the fast movements of the animals.)

🌐 How to use "die Bewegung"?

The use of die Bewegung heavily depends on the context:

• Everyday Life & Health: When talking about sports, dance, walking, or general physical activity. Example: "Mach mehr Bewegung!" (Get more exercise/movement!)
• Politics & Society: When referring to organized groups advocating for a common goal (e.g., Frauenbewegung - women's movement, Arbeiterbewegung - labor movement). Example: "Sie engagiert sich in einer Bürgerbewegung." (She is involved in a citizens' movement.)
• Physics & Technology: Describing mechanical processes or physical phenomena. Example: "Die gleichförmige Bewegung eines Objekts." (The uniform motion of an object.)
• Emotions: Rather literary or elevated to express inner feelings. Example: "Eine Bewegung des Mitleids ergriff ihn." (A stir/pang of pity seized him.)

Distinguishing from similar words:

• Der Gang: Refers specifically to a person's walk or the gear mechanism.
• Die Fahrt: Refers to travel by vehicle.
• Die Regung: Often synonymous with inner movement/emotion, but usually smaller/more subtle.
• Der Ablauf: Refers more to a process or sequence of events.

💡 How to remember "die Bewegung"

Article Mnemonic

Nouns ending in "-ung" in German are almost always feminine (die). Think of: "die Landung" (the landing), "die Meinung" (the opinion), "die Hoffnung" (the hope) – and of course, "die Bewegung". The ending (-ung) signals the feminine article!

Meaning Mnemonic

Imagine a large protest (a political Bewegung) where all participants are jumping up and down (physical Bewegung). This creates a lot of commotion and inner excitement (emotional Bewegung)! All three meanings in one image.

🔄 Similar and Opposite Words

⚠️ Beware of similar words:

• Der Anstoß (impetus, trigger): Can initiate a Bewegung, but isn't the movement itself.
• Die Maßnahme (measure, action): An action, but not necessarily a physical or social movement.

😄 A Little Joke

Warum hat der Besen eine politische Bewegung gegründet?
Weil er den alten Staub aufwirbeln wollte!

Translation:
Why did the broom start a political movement?
Because it wanted to stir up the old dust!

✍️ Poem about Bewegung

Die Bewegung

Ob Körper tanzt, ob Geist erwacht,
ob Stein sich regt bei Tag und Nacht,
ob Gruppe strebt nach neuem Ziel,
die Bewegung ist ein wichtig Spiel.

Mal sanft und leis, mal stark und laut,
hat sie die Welt schon oft erbaut.
Sie bringt den Wandel, fern von Ruh,
die stete Bewegung, ich und du.

Translation:

The Movement

Whether body dances, or spirit wakes,
Whether stone stirs by day and night breaks,
Whether group strives for a goal anew,
The movement is an important game, it's true.

Sometimes gentle and soft, sometimes strong and loud,
It has often built the world, standing proud.
It brings the change, far from rest's hold,
The constant movement, stories untold (lit: me and you).

🧩 Little Riddle

Ich kann ein Tanz sein oder ein Protest.
Ich bin das Gegenteil von Stillstand und Rast.
Ein Muskel macht mich, eine Idee auch,
manchmal spürst du mich tief in deinem Bauch.

Was bin ich?
Lösung: die Bewegung

Translation:

I can be a dance or a protest's quest.
I am the opposite of standstill and rest.
A muscle makes me, an idea too, it's true,
Sometimes you feel me deep inside of you.

What am I?
Solution: die Bewegung (movement)

🤓 Other Information

Word Formation:

The word "Bewegung" is derived from the verb bewegen (to move) using the suffix -ung. This suffix is commonly used in German to form nouns from verbs, often describing the process or result of the action. As mentioned, nouns ending in -ung are almost always feminine (die).

Interesting Note:

The concept of "Bewegung" plays a central role in many academic disciplines, from physics (Newton's laws of motion) and biology (musculoskeletal system / Bewegungsapparat) to sociology (social movements / soziale Bewegungen) and psychology (emotional stir / emotionale Bewegung).