noun

die Waage, -n

scale

Ein Gerät, mit dem man das Gewicht von etwas misst.

die Waage — plural: die Waagen

Scale / weighing device
A device used to determine the weight or mass of something.
- Ich stelle das Paket auf die Waage. — “I put the package on the scale.”
- Die Waage zeigt 72 Kilogramm an. — “The scale shows 72 kilograms.”
Balance or equilibrium
In a figurative sense, Waage can describe a balanced relationship between two sides.
- Die beiden Mannschaften hielten sich die Waage. — “The two teams were evenly matched.”
- Das Gleichgewicht steht auf der Waage. — “The balance is at stake.”
Libra, the zodiac sign
Waage is also the German name for the zodiac sign Libra.
- Sie ist im Zeichen der Waage geboren. — “She was born under the sign of Libra.”

Gender: feminine — die Waage
Plural: die Waagen
Pronunciation: approximately VAH-guh
Word origin: The word comes from Old High German wāga, meaning “scale” or “balance.” It is related to the verb wiegen , “to weigh,” and historically to wägen , “to weigh or assess carefully.”

The plural ending is -n: die Waage → die Waagen.

die Waagschale — “scale pan” or “pan of a balance.” It refers specifically to one of the pans of a traditional balance, not usually to the entire weighing device.
das Messgerät — “measuring instrument.” This is a broader term and can refer to many kinds of instruments, not only scales.
die Personenwaage — “bathroom scale” or “personal scale,” specifically used for weighing people.
das Sternzeichen Waage — “the zodiac sign Libra.” This applies only to the astrological meaning.

There is no direct antonym for Waage when it means a weighing device or the zodiac sign.

For the figurative meaning of balance, possible opposites include:

das Ungleichgewicht — “imbalance,” meaning a lack of equality or stability between two sides.
das Missverhältnis — “disproportion” or “imbalance,” often used for an inappropriate relationship between things.

auf die Waage legen — to put something on the scale
etwas wiegen — to weigh something
die Waage halten — to maintain balance
sich die Waage halten — to be evenly matched or balance each other out
auf der Waage stehen — to stand on the scale; figuratively, for something to be at stake
das Zünglein an der Waage sein — to be the deciding factor
in der Waage sein — to be balanced or undecided