A method and device for analyzing and quantifying flows for the three-dimensional determination of flow velocity components or the visualization of flows in fluids or gases. An illuminating device generates electromagnetic radiation of a predefined color to scan a detection space in the form of light planes arranged spatially one behind the other that are at least roughly parallel, and that are generated temporally one after the other. As a result, electromagnetic waves are generated in the detection space by particles characterizing the flow, and are detected using at least one image detector which records two-dimensional color images. The frequency, frequency spectrum, and/or intensity detected by at the least one of the image detectors is changed by an as a function of time.