backward
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backward
In the direction that lies behind you; opposite to the normal direction of movement or view.
Er schaute nicht hin und fuhr mit dem Auto rückwärts gegen einen Poller.
He wasn't looking and drove the car backward into a bollard.
backward
In reverse order, from the end to the beginning.
Kannst du das Alphabet auch rückwärts aufsagen?
Can you also recite the alphabet backward?
backward
In a figurative sense: oriented toward the past, not progressive or modern. Often used negatively.
Seine politischen Ansichten sind völlig rückwärts gewandt und passen nicht in die heutige Zeit.
His political views are completely backward-looking and do not fit the present day.
The word ends in '-wärts', a suffix that indicates direction. It is combined with 'rück-' (back) and works like other directional adverbs, e.g. 'vorwärts' (forward), 'seitwärts' (sideways), or 'aufwärts' (upward).
Der LKW kann hier nicht wenden, er muss rückwärts aus der engen Straße fahren.
The truck can't turn around here; it has to drive backward out of the narrow street.
As an adverb of movement, 'rückwärts' describes the direction of a verb. It often stands directly with the verb and is typical with verbs such as 'gehen' (to go/walk), 'fahren' (to drive), 'laufen' (to run/walk), or 'einparken' (to park).
Pass auf, wenn du rückwärts gehst!
Watch out when you walk backward!
In the figurative, often negative meaning, 'rückwärts' is frequently used as part of the adjective 'rückwärts gewandt' (backward-looking). This describes a person or idea as old-fashioned and fixated on the past.
Seine Einstellung zur modernen Technik ist sehr rückwärts gewandt.
His attitude toward modern technology is very backward-looking.
When it is about a sequence, 'rückwärts' means from the end to the beginning. Typical verbs for this are 'zählen' (to count), 'lesen' (to read), or 'aufsagen' (to recite).
Manche Leute können Wörter sehr schnell rückwärts buchstabieren.
Some people can spell words backward very quickly.
back
Zurück names the destination of a movement: a previous place or the starting point. Rückwärts, on the other hand, describes the direction of movement opposite to the normal direction of view. You can therefore walk backward without returning, or walk back to a place without moving backward.
Paul geht rückwärts zum Eingang, damit er die Tür im Blick behält.
Paul walks backward toward the entrance so that he can keep the door in sight.
Nach dem Einkauf geht Paul zum Eingang zurück.
After shopping, Paul goes back to the entrance.
