schwanken

sway; wobble; waver

verb SHVANK-en Rare

Also means

fluctuate

Usage Note

schwanken describes a back-and-forth swaying motion, whether physical (a mast, a person standing unsteadily) or figurative (wavering in a decision). In medical contexts: der Patient schwankt beim Gehen (the patient sways when walking).

Examples

"Das Kind schwankte auf dem schmalen Balken hin und her."

Natural Translation

The child swayed back and forth on the narrow beam.

Literal Translation

The child swayed on the narrow beam back and forth.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

Du vs. Sie: When to Use Each in German

Use Sie with strangers, elders, and at work; use du with friends, family, kids, and peers. Here's how to pick the right German you every time.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Umlauts & ß: Sounds and Typing

Pronounce ä, ö, ü with the front-tongue, rounded-lips rule, master the ß vs ss spelling, and type every German umlaut on Mac, Windows, and phone.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Body Parts: Vocabulary + How to Say It Hurts

Learn German body parts with der/die/das and plurals, plus the two ways to say something hurts: Mir tut der Kopf weh and Ich habe Kopfschmerzen.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

German Two-Way Prepositions: Accusative or Dative?

Use accusative for movement into a place (wohin?) and dative for a fixed location (wo?). Master all nine German two-way prepositions with one simple test.

June 9, 2026 6 min read