wälzen

Wälzen is a German verb with several related meanings centered on the idea of turning or rotating. The primary sense is physical movement: to roll or revolve an object along a surface or around an axis. For example, a ball can wälzen down a slope, and a wheel wälzt over the ground. The reflexive form wälzen (sich wälzen) describes someone or something rolling or turning themselves, as in an animal or person rolling about.

In a figurative sense, wälzen means to mull over or brood about something, especially to consider or weigh multiple possibilities in one's mind. The construction typically uses a direct object: jemanden/etwas wälzen or simply eine Idee wälzen. Examples include: Er wälzt verschiedene Optionen. Die Frage wird lange wälzt.

A further usage occurs in nursing and medical contexts, where wälzen (often paired with drehen) refers to the act of turning or repositioning a patient in bed to prevent pressure ulcers or to aid movement. In this sense, it denotes a coordinated physical technique rather than a mental process.

Etymology and related terms: Wälzen derives from the same semantic root as Walze, the German word for a roller, and is related to the general concept of rolling. The noun form for the act of rolling is typically Walzen, while Wälzen appears as the verbal form and in specific phrases. The term is used across everyday language, literature, and technical contexts to describe both literal rolling and metaphorical deliberation.