verb

bewegen

move

Etwas von einem Ort an einen anderen bringen oder den Platz verändern.

Definition & meaning

bewegen is a German verb with several related meanings:

To move something physically
- to change the position or location of an object
- Sie bewegt den Tisch. — “She moves the table.”
- It can also mean to make something move: Der Motor bewegt das Rad. — “The motor moves the wheel.”
To move oneself / to move around
- In the reflexive form sich bewegen, it means “to move,” “to move around,” or “to be physically active.”
- Ich bewege mich jeden Tag. — “I exercise / move around every day.”
To motivate or prompt someone
- to cause someone to act or make a decision
- Was hat ihn dazu bewegt? — “What motivated him to do that?”
To touch or affect someone emotionally
- to stir, move, or deeply affect someone
- Der Film hat mich sehr bewegt. — “The film moved me deeply.”
To discuss or deal with an issue
- Usually in the phrase etwas bewegt jemanden: something concerns or occupies someone’s thoughts.
- Dieses Thema bewegt viele Menschen. — “This issue concerns many people.”

Grammar & Word origin

Infinitive: bewegen
Past tense: bewegte
Past participle: bewegt
Auxiliary verb: usually haben
- Sie hat den Stuhl bewegt. — “She moved the chair.”
It is a weak verb.
It can be both transitive and reflexive:
- etwas bewegen — to move something
- sich bewegen — to move oneself / move around
In emotional or motivational meanings, the person affected is usually in the accusative:
- Das bewegt mich. — “That moves me.”

The word is historically related to wegen and Weg , although the modern meaning is not simply “to make something go on a way.” The prefix be- often makes a verb transitive, indicating that an action is directed at an object.

Synonyms & antonyms

Physical movement

verschieben — to shift or move something, often to another position; more specific than bewegen.
verlagern — to relocate or shift something, often in a formal or organizational context.
rücken — to move or push something a short distance.
fortbewegen — to move forward or get from one place to another; often used reflexively as sich fortbewegen .

Motivation or emotional effect

motivieren — to motivate someone; more specifically about encouraging action.
veranlassen — to cause or prompt an action; more formal than bewegen.
berühren — to touch someone emotionally; this focuses more directly on feelings.
rühren — to move or touch emotionally; often literary or expressive.

Antonyms

stillstehen — to stand still or not move.
verharren — to remain in the same position or state, often deliberately or for a long time.
festhalten — to hold something in place or prevent it from moving.
unbewegt bleiben — to remain unmoved, either physically or emotionally.

Common phrases & collocations

etwas bewegen — to move something
sich bewegen — to move around; to exercise
sich frei bewegen — to move freely
sich auf etwas zubewegen — to move toward something
jemanden dazu bewegen, etwas zu tun — to persuade or motivate someone to do something
emotional bewegen — to affect someone emotionally
die Gemüter bewegen — to stir public feelings or opinions
viel bewegen — to achieve or change a great deal, often in viel bewegen können