ballen
to ball up
To form something into a spherical or compact mass by pressing or folding it together.
EXAMPLE
Sie ballte das Papier zu einer Kugel.
She balled the paper up into a ball.
ballen
to ball up
ballen – ballte – hat geballt
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Meanings
die Faust ballen
to clench one's fist
To press the fingers firmly into the palm and close the hand into a fist.
EXAMPLE
Vor Wut ballte er die Faust.
He clenched his fist in anger.
sich ballen
to bunch up / gather
To draw together or accumulate into a dense, compact mass; this is used especially of clouds, smoke, or crowds of people.
EXAMPLE
Über dem Tal ballten sich dunkle Wolken.
Dark clouds gathered over the valley.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry ballen, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Present
| ich | balle |
|---|---|
| du | ballst |
| er/sie/es | ballt |
| wir | ballen |
| ihr | ballt |
| sie | ballen |
Simple past
| ich | ballte |
|---|---|
| du | balltest |
| er/sie/es | ballte |
| wir | ballten |
| ihr | balltet |
| sie | ballten |
Perfect
with haben
| ich | habe geballt |
|---|---|
| du | hast geballt |
| er/sie/es | hat geballt |
| wir | haben geballt |
| ihr | habt geballt |
| sie | haben geballt |
Commands
| du | balle! ball! |
|---|---|
| ihr | ballt! |
| Sie | ballen Sie! |
Past perfect
| ich | hatte geballt |
|---|---|
| du | hattest geballt |
| er/sie/es | hatte geballt |
| wir | hatten geballt |
| ihr | hattet geballt |
| sie | hatten geballt |
Future
| ich | werde ballen |
|---|---|
| du | wirst ballen |
| er/sie/es | wird ballen |
| wir | werden ballen |
| ihr | werdet ballen |
| sie | werden ballen |
Subjunctive I
| ich | balle |
|---|---|
| du | ballest |
| er/sie/es | balle |
| wir | ballen |
| ihr | ballet |
| sie | ballen |
Used for reported speech.
Subjunctive II
| ich | ballte |
|---|---|
| du | balltest |
| er/sie/es | ballte |
| wir | ballten |
| ihr | balltet |
| sie | ballten |
Used for wishes and “would”.
Other forms
| infinitive | ballen |
|---|---|
| with zu | zu ballen |
| present participle | ballend |
| past participle | geballt |
Usage tips
Pattern with 'zu'
The typical pattern is „etwas zu etwas ballen“ (to ball something up into something). The material is in the accusative; the resulting form follows „zu“ in the dative.
EXAMPLE
Das Kind ballte den Schnee zu einer festen Kugel.
The child balled the snow up into a firm ball.
Typical collocations
The expression „die Faust ballen“ (to clench one's fist) is often used with „vor Wut“ (in anger), „vor Zorn“ (in rage), or „drohend“ (threateningly). It describes the hand movement as an expression of emotion or as a threat.
EXAMPLE
Als er die Beleidigung hörte, ballte er vor Zorn die Fäuste.
When he heard the insult, he clenched his fists in rage.
Fixed expression
„Die Faust in der Tasche ballen“ (to clench one's fist in one's pocket) is also used figuratively: someone is annoyed but does not show their anger openly. The expression often describes suppressed anger toward someone whom one cannot or does not want to stand up to.
EXAMPLE
Während der Chef ihm die Schuld gab, ballte er nur die Faust in der Tasche.
While the boss blamed him, he merely clenched his fist in his pocket.
Reflexive pattern
When clouds, smoke, or people gather into a dense mass on their own, „sich ballen“ (to bunch up / gather) is used. The things or people that gather form the subject; there is no additional accusative object.
EXAMPLE
Vor dem Eingang ballten sich die Menschen, weil die Türen noch geschlossen waren.
People gathered in front of the entrance because the doors were still closed.
In real life
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