wandelt

Wandelt is the third-person singular present indicative form of the German verb wandeln. Wandeln means to change, transform, or alter in form; it can also refer to a gradual process of change or metamorphosis. The form wandelt appears in sentences like "Der Zustand wandelt sich im Laufe der Jahre" (the condition changes over the years). In older or more literary usage, wandeln can also mean to walk or to wander, but this sense is rare in contemporary standard German.

Etymology: Wandel comes from Middle High German wandeln; related nouns include Wandel (change) and Wandelung (transformation). The verb is mostly literary or formal in modern usage; more common verbs for everyday change are verändern, sich ändern, or sich entwickeln.

Usage: The present tense conjugation is ich wandle, du wandelst, er/sie/es wandelt, wir wandeln, ihr wandelt, sie wandeln. It can be used without reflexive pronoun (etwas wandelt sich) to express that something undergoes a transformation, or with sich to emphasize the change in the subject: "Die Gesellschaft wandelt sich." The sense is neutral and factual, though some contexts have a poetic or philosophical undertone.

Surname note: Wandelt is also a German-language surname, commonly spelled with a capital W as Wandelt. In onomastic contexts it occurs among families in German-speaking countries, separate from the verb form.

See also: Wandel, Wandelung, Verwandlung; Wandel as noun, transformation; Wandeln in literature.