German word

pendeln

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈpɛndl̩n/

Meaning

  • verbcommute

Example

Ich pendle jeden Tag zur Arbeit.

I commute to work every day.

Illustration for pendeln (commute)

More examples

Wegen des Staus pendeln viele mit dem Auto länger als eine Stunde.

Because of the traffic jam, many people commute by car for more than an hour.

Core concept

A repeated journey traces a line between two fixed points, resembling the steady sweep of a pendulum.

Common phrases

  • täglich pendeln zur Arbeit

    commute to work daily

  • mit dem Auto pendeln

    commute by car

  • zwischen Wohnung und Arbeitsplatz pendeln

    commute between home and workplace

Similar words

fahren: Move to a destination by car, train, or another vehicle.
gehen: Head toward a destination on foot.
hin- und herfahren: Travel by vehicle regularly between the same two places.

Definition in German

sich regelmäßig zwischen zwei Orten, besonders zwischen Zuhause und Arbeitsplatz, hin- und herbewegen

Word origin

Pendel comes from Latin pendulum through the European scientific vocabulary, and pendeln was formed from this noun for pendulum-like movement.

Usage tips

  • Pendeln often describes a regular routine, so frequency words such as täglich or wöchentlich make the commuting pattern explicit.

Other meanings

  • swingverb

Opposites

Related words

  • der Pendlercommuternoun
  • die Pendlerinfemale commuternoun
  • Pendelverkehrcommuter trafficnoun

Word lists with this word