das Beben
earthquake
A strong shaking of the ground; an earthquake.
EXAMPLE
Bei dem Beben wurden zahlreiche Häuser zerstört.
Numerous houses were destroyed in the earthquake.
das Beben
tremor / upheaval
das Beben, die Beben
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Meanings
das Beben
tremor
An involuntary trembling of the body or voice, caused, for example, by fear, cold, or strong emotions.
EXAMPLE
Das Beben ihrer Hände verriet, wie viel Angst sie hatte.
The trembling of her hands revealed how afraid she was.
das Beben
upheaval
A major disruption of existing political, social, or economic conditions.
EXAMPLE
Der Korruptionsskandal löste ein politisches Beben aus.
The corruption scandal caused political upheaval.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Beben, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| plural | die Beben |
| genitive | des Bebens |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Beben | die Beben |
| accusative | das Beben | die Beben |
| dative | dem Beben | den Beben |
| genitive | des Bebens | der Beben |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word family
'Das Beben' (the tremor) belongs to the word family of the verb 'beben' (to tremble) and refers to the occurrence or effect of this trembling. This connection helps you recognize the word in new compounds and figurative uses as well.
EXAMPLE
Das Beben dauerte nur wenige Sekunden, aber es war deutlich zu spüren.
The tremor lasted only a few seconds, but it was clearly felt.
Typical collocations
When it means an earthquake, 'Beben' often appears with information about its strength or with verbs such as 'spüren' (to feel), 'messen' (to measure), and 'auslösen' (to trigger). Typical collocations include 'ein starkes Beben' (a strong earthquake) and 'ein Beben der Stärke 6,2' (an earthquake measuring 6.2 in magnitude).
EXAMPLE
Die Messstation registrierte ein Beben der Stärke 6,2.
The monitoring station recorded an earthquake measuring 6.2 in magnitude.
Context clue
The physical or vocal meaning can often be recognized from words such as 'Hände' (hands), 'Stimme' (voice), 'Körper' (body), 'Angst' (fear), or 'Kälte' (cold). In this case, 'Beben' does not describe an event in the ground, but a visible or audible human reaction.
EXAMPLE
Das Beben in seiner Stimme war während der Rede deutlich zu hören.
The tremor in his voice was clearly audible during the speech.
Figurative use
In political, social, and economic texts, 'Beben' often appears in fixed expressions such as 'ein politisches Beben' (political upheaval) or 'ein Beben an den Finanzmärkten' (upheaval in the financial markets). Signal words from these areas show that a far-reaching change is meant.
EXAMPLE
Die Pleite der Großbank verursachte ein Beben an den Finanzmärkten.
The collapse of the major bank caused upheaval in the financial markets.
In real life
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