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noun

das Pendel, –

pendulum

Definition & meaning

Pendel means pendulum: a weight or object suspended from a fixed point so that it can swing back and forth under the influence of gravity.

Common meanings include:

  1. A physical pendulum used in mechanics or physics.

    • Das Pendel schwingt hin und her. — “The pendulum swings back and forth.”

  2. The pendulum of a clock, which regulates the clock’s movement.

    • Die Pendeluhr bleibt stehen, wenn das Pendel blockiert ist. — “The pendulum clock stops when the pendulum is blocked.”

  3. In some contexts, a pendulum-like instrument, for example one used in dowsing or as a measuring device.

The figurative idea of something regularly moving between two positions is usually expressed by the related verb pendeln .

Grammar & Word origin

  • Gender: neuter
  • Singular: das Pendel
  • Plural: die Pendel
  • Pronunciation: approximately PEN-dəl

The word comes from Latin pendulum, meaning “something hanging,” from pendere, “to hang.” It is related to pendeln , “to swing” or “to commute regularly.”

It is not normally analyzed as a compound in modern German. The ending -el is part of the noun’s historical form.

Synonyms & antonyms

There is no perfect everyday synonym for Pendel .

  • Schwinger [​?](vocabuo://word/Schwinger] — a “swinging object” or oscillator; it is broader and more technical than Pendel.
  • Uhrpendel — specifically a clock pendulum, so it is narrower than Pendel.
  • Schwingpendel — a technical term for a pendulum system; it is used mainly in scientific or engineering contexts.

There is no direct antonym. Depending on the context, Stillstand (“standstill”) or Ruhe (“rest”) can describe the opposite state of a moving pendulum.

Common phrases & collocations

  • das Pendel schwingt — the pendulum swings
  • das Pendel bleibt stehen — the pendulum stops
  • das Pendel in Bewegung setzen — to set the pendulum in motion
  • eine Pendeluhr — a pendulum clock
  • das Pendel schlägt aus — the pendulum swings or deviates to one side
  • Das Pendel schlägt zurück. — “The pendulum swings back,” often used figuratively when a situation moves strongly in the opposite direction.

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Examples

Das Pendel des alten Uhrwerks schwingt regelmäßig.noun

The pendulum of the old clockwork swings regularly.

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