rollen
to roll
To move along a surface by turning around one's own axis, like a ball or a wheel.
EXAMPLE
Der Ball rollte langsam den Hügel hinunter.
The ball rolled slowly down the hill.
rollen
to roll
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Meanings
rollen
to roll
To bring something into a cylindrical or spherical shape, often by spreading it out and winding it up.
EXAMPLE
Sie rollte den Pizzateig mit einem Nudelholz aus.
She rolled out the pizza dough with a rolling pin.
rollen
to rumble
To produce a deep, continuous, vibrating sound, typically from thunder or drums.
EXAMPLE
In der Ferne hörte man den Donner rollen.
In the distance, you could hear the thunder rumbling.
mit den Augen rollen
to roll one's eyes
To turn the eyes upward to express annoyance, impatience, or disbelief.
EXAMPLE
Als er den alten Witz schon wieder erzählte, musste sie mit den Augen rollen.
When he told the old joke yet again, she had to roll her eyes.
rollen
to taxi
The movement of an airplane on the ground on its wheels, for example before takeoff or after landing.
EXAMPLE
Nach der Landung rollte das Flugzeug zum Gate.
After landing, the airplane taxied to the gate.
Usage tips
Auxiliary verb: haben or sein?
The perfect tense of 'rollen' (to roll) is formed with 'sein' when movement from one place to another is being described. In the other meanings, such as producing a sound or shaping dough, 'haben' is used.
EXAMPLE
Der Apfel ist vom Tisch gerollt.
The apple rolled off the table.
Indicating direction
When 'rollen' (to roll) describes movement, the direction is often indicated by a preposition with the accusative (e.g. 'über die Straße' — across the street) or an adverb (e.g. 'bergab' — downhill).
EXAMPLE
Vorsicht, ein Stein rollt den Hang hinunter!
Careful, a stone is rolling down the slope!
Fixed expression
The idiom 'mit den Augen rollen' (to roll one's eyes) is a fixed unit. It nonverbally expresses annoyance, boredom, or disbelief.
EXAMPLE
Jedes Mal, wenn ihr Chef eine Besprechung ankündigt, rollt sie mit den Augen.
Every time her boss announces a meeting, she rolls her eyes.
Aviation terminology
In the meaning 'sich am Boden bewegen' (to move on the ground), 'rollen' (to taxi) is a technical term from aviation. It describes the movement of an airplane on the taxiway.
EXAMPLE
Das Flugzeug rollt zur Startbahn.
The airplane is taxiing to the runway.
Use with prefixes
To make the action of shaping more precise, 'rollen' (to roll) is often combined with separable prefixes. 'Ausrollen' means to make something flat, while 'zusammenrollen' means to form something into a roll.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du mir helfen, den Teppich zusammenzurollen?
Can you help me roll up the carpet?
Context clue: sounds
When 'rollen' (to rumble) describes a sound, the subject is almost always the source of a deep, vibrating tone. The most common subjects are 'der Donner' (the thunder) or 'die Trommeln' (the drums).
EXAMPLE
Die Trommeln rollten zum Auftakt der Zeremonie.
The drums rumbled at the beginning of the ceremony.
Compare with
rollen vs fahren
to drive / ride
Fahren generally refers to moving by vehicle and is especially suitable for typical road vehicles. When an airplane moves on its wheels on the ground before takeoff or after landing, this process is called rollen.
rollen
Das Flugzeug rollt langsam zur Startbahn.
The airplane is slowly taxiing to the runway.
fahren
Der Bus fährt langsam zur Abfahrtstelle.
The bus is slowly making its way to the departure point.
In real life
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