01
drehen
to turn
To move something or oneself around its own axis or around a central point.
example
Du musst den Deckel nach links drehen, um das Glas zu öffnen.
You have to turn the lid to the left to open the jar.
drehen
to turn / film
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 05
Usage tips
Reflexive: accusative vs. dative
The verb can be reflexive. 'Sich (accusative) drehen' means that the subject moves itself. 'Sich (dative) etwas drehen' means that the subject makes something for themselves, usually a cigarette.
EXAMPLE
Die Tänzerin dreht sich elegant zur Musik.
The dancer turns elegantly to the music.
Fixed expression with preposition
The expression 'sich drehen um' always requires the preposition 'um' with the accusative. It means that something is the central topic.
EXAMPLE
Die Diskussion drehte sich hauptsächlich um die Kosten des Projekts.
The discussion revolved mainly around the costs of the project.
Context: film and media
When 'drehen' is used together with words like 'Film' (film), 'Szene' (scene), 'Video' (video), or 'Serie' (series), it means 'to record' or 'to produce'.
EXAMPLE
Der Regisseur möchte die nächste Szene im Park drehen.
The director wants to film the next scene in the park.
Direction information
In the basic meaning of rotation, a direction is often specified. Typical additions are 'nach links/rechts' (to the left/right), 'im Kreis' (in a circle), or 'um 180 Grad' (by 180 degrees).
EXAMPLE
Dreh den Schlüssel bitte nach rechts, um die Tür aufzuschließen.
Please turn the key to the right to unlock the door.
Colloquial meaning
The expression 'etwas drehen' is used colloquially and means to arrange a situation skillfully or sometimes dishonestly.
EXAMPLE
Ich weiß nicht, wie er es gemacht hat, aber er hat die Sache zu seinen Gunsten gedreht.
I don't know how he did it, but he manipulated the matter in his favor.
Compare with
drehen vs aufnehmen
to record / take in
'aufnehmen' and 'drehen' can both mean capturing images or sounds with a camera or device. 'Aufnehmen' is more general: you can technically record a video, a song, a conversation, or photos. 'Drehen' is used mainly for films or TV programs and refers to production with a camera. The words can be confused when talking about videos. For a short phone video, you would more likely say 'aufnehmen'. For a film project, 'drehen' sounds more natural.
drehen
Im alten Bahnhof dreht ein kleines Team einen Film.
A small team is filming a movie in the old train station.
aufnehmen
Am Abend hat er ein kurzes Video von der Feier aufgenommen.
In the evening, he recorded a short video of the party.
In real life
Loading video examples...