to whirl
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to swirl
To move quickly and in circles through the air, usually said of light things such as leaves, snow, or dust.
Der Herbstwind ließ die bunten Blätter durch die Luft wirbeln.
The autumn wind made the colorful leaves swirl through the air.
to spin
To turn very quickly around one's own axis.
Die Eiskunstläuferin kann unglaublich schnell auf dem Eis wirbeln.
The figure skater can spin incredibly fast on the ice.
to bustle
To move back and forth quickly, energetically, and seemingly chaotically.
Die Kinder wirbelten aufgeregt durch das ganze Haus.
The children bustled excitedly through the whole house.
to do a drumroll
To produce a very fast, even rhythm of beats on a drum (to play a drumroll).
Der Schlagzeuger wirbelte vor dem großen Finale auf seiner Snare-Drum.
The drummer did a drumroll on his snare drum before the grand finale.
The verb 'wirbeln' (to whirl) is closely related to the noun 'der Wirbel' (vortex, whirlwind). It describes a fast, circular, or chaotic movement that resembles a whirl.
Ein kleiner Wirbel aus Staub tanzte über die Straße.
A small swirl of dust danced across the street.
The perfect tense is formed with 'sein' when a movement involving a change of location is described (e.g., leaves, people). It is formed with 'haben' when the movement takes place in one spot (e.g., a dancer who is spinning, or a drummer).
Die Schneeflocken sind wild durcheinander gewirbelt.
The snowflakes swirled wildly around.
In this meaning, the subjects are typically light, inanimate things that are moved by the wind. These include 'Blätter' (leaves), 'Schnee' (snow), 'Staub' (dust), 'Funken' (sparks), or 'Papier' (paper).
Als das Feuer ausbrach, wirbelten Funken durch die Nacht.
When the fire broke out, sparks swirled through the night.
When people 'wirbeln' (whirl/bustle), it describes very fast, energetic, and often chaotic movement. It is especially often used for children playing or people dancing.
Nach der Party wirbelten die Gäste noch lange über die Tanzfläche.
After the party, the guests kept whirling across the dance floor for a long time.
In a musical context, 'wirbeln' means to play a drumroll. The instrument is often named with the preposition 'auf' and the dative.
Der Schlagzeuger wirbelte auf seiner Trommel, um die Spannung zu steigern.
The drummer did a drumroll on his drum to increase the tension.
to turn / film
Both words can express turning around one's own axis. Drehen also works for slow or controlled movements, while wirbeln emphasizes a particularly fast, lively turn. Drehen is enough for a calm movement; at high speed and with lots of movement, wirbeln is more appropriate.
Die Tänzerin wirbelt sich schnell um die eigene Achse.
The dancer spins rapidly around her own axis.
Die Tänzerin dreht sich langsam um die eigene Achse.
The dancer slowly turns around her own axis.
