Method for operating an ultrasonic motor, comprising the steps of: - providing an ultrasonic actuator made of piezoelectric or electrostrictive or magnetostrictive material in the form of a plate whose width B is greater than its thickness D and smaller than its length L, and said plate comprises two main faces (13,14), two side faces extending along the length, and two end faces extending along the width, and comprises a transverse plane of symmetry S1 which runs perpendicular to said main faces (13, 14) and said side faces and parallel to said end faces, and a longitudinal plane of symmetry S2 which runs perpendicular to said side faces and said end faces and parallel to said main faces (13, 14), where a friction element intended for contacting an element to be driven is arranged on at least one of said end faces of said ultrasonic actuator, and said ultrasonic actuator comprises four identical volume regions (19, 20, 21, 22) which are arranged symmetrically in relation to said transverse plane of symmetry S1 as well as symmetrically in relation to said longitudinal plane of symmetry S2, and each of said volume regions (19, 20, 21, 22) together with excitation electrodes (27, 38) and general electrodes (28, 39) arranged on and/or in said ultrasonic actuator forms a generator (G1, G2, G3, G4) for forming acoustic standing waves as well as a generator (G1, G2, G3, G4) for forming static bending deformations; - providing an electrical excitation device which delivers one electric alternating voltage U1 or two electric alternating voltages U1, U2 and two static electric voltages E1, E2; - applying said alternating voltage U1 to said electrodes (27, 28, 38, 39) of two of said four generators G1, G2, G3, G4 or applying one of said two alternating voltages U1, U2 to said electrodes (27, 28, 38, 39) of two of said generators G1, G2, G3, G4 and applying the other alternating voltage U1, U2 to said electrodes (27, 28, 38, 39) of said two other generators G1, G2, G3, G4 for forming an acoustic standing wave in said ultrasonic actuator in a dynamic operating mode, or applying one of said two static electric voltages E1, E2 to said electrodes (27, 28, 38, 39) of two of said four generators G1, G2, G3, G4 and applying said other static electric voltage E1, E2 to said electrodes (27, 28, 38, 39) of said other two generators G1, G2, G3, G4 for forming a static bending deformation in a static operating mode. - providing an ultrasonic actuator made of piezoelectric or electrostrictive or magnetostrictive material in the form of a plate whose width B is greater than its thickness D and smaller than its length L, and said plate comprises two main faces (13,14), two side faces extending along the length, and two end faces extending along the width, and comprises a transverse plane of symmetry S1 which runs perpendicular to said main faces (13, 14) and said side faces and parallel to said end faces, and a longitudinal plane of symmetry S2 which runs perpendicular to said side faces and said end faces and parallel to said main faces (13, 14), where a friction element intended for contacting an element to be driven is arranged on at least one of said end faces of said ultrasonic actuator, and said ultrasonic actuator comprises four identical volume regions (19, 20, 21, 22) which are arranged symmetrically in relation to said transverse plane of symmetry S1 as well as symmetrically in relation to said longitudinal plane of symmetry S2, and each of said volume regions (19, 20, 21, 22) together with excitation electrodes (27, 38) and general electrodes (28, 39) arranged on and/or in said ultrasonic actuator forms a generator (G1, G2, G3, G4) for forming acoustic standing waves as well as a generator (G1, G2, G3, G4) for forming static bending deformations; - providing an electrical excitation device which delivers one electric alternating voltage U1 or two electric alternating voltages U1, U2 and two static electric voltages E1, E2; - applying said alternating voltage U1 to said electrodes (27, 28, 38, 39) of two of said four generators G1, G2, G3, G4 or applying one of said two alternating voltages U1, U2 to said electrodes (27, 28, 38, 39) of two of said generators G1, G2, G3, G4 and applying the other alternating voltage U1, U2 to said electrodes (27, 28, 38, 39) of said two other generators G1, G2, G3, G4 for forming an acoustic standing wave in said ultrasonic actuator in a dynamic operating mode, or applying one of said two static electric voltages E1, E2 to said electrodes (27, 28, 38, 39) of two of said four generators G1, G2, G3, G4 and applying said other static electric voltage E1, E2 to said electrodes (27, 28, 38, 39) of said other two generators G1, G2, G3, G4 for forming a static bending deformation in a static operating mode.