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
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Meanings
drehen
to film
To record a film or a television program.
EXAMPLE
Für den neuen „Tatort“ wird gerade eine Szene am Kölner Dom gedreht.
A scene for the new “Tatort” is currently being filmed at Cologne Cathedral.
sich drehen um
to revolve around
To have a topic or person as the central content or focus.
EXAMPLE
In diesem Gespräch dreht sich alles nur um deine Probleme.
In this conversation, everything revolves only around your problems.
drehen
to roll
To roll tobacco with paper by hand into a cigarette.
EXAMPLE
Er setzte sich auf die Bank und drehte sich in Ruhe eine Zigarette.
He sat down on the bench and calmly rolled himself a cigarette.
etwas drehen
to arrange / manipulate
Colloquial for arranging or manipulating a situation, often in an unclear or dishonest way.
EXAMPLE
Keine Sorge, wir drehen das schon irgendwie, dass wir die Karten noch bekommen.
Don't worry, we'll somehow arrange it so that we still get the tickets.
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
handelnaufnehmenproduzierenfilmenwendenkreisenrollenspinnenverfilmenschwenkenschraubenrotierenwirbeln
drehen vs handeln
to act / trade
„Handeln von“ and „sich drehen um“ can both identify the subject of a text or conversation. „Handeln von“ refers more generally to the content, while „sich drehen um“ emphasizes the central focus. Use „handeln von“ for the general topic and „sich drehen um“ for the main focus.
drehen
Im Gespräch dreht sich alles um den Umzug der Familie in die neue Stadt.
The entire conversation revolves around the family’s move to the new city.
handeln
Der Roman handelt von einer Familie, die in eine neue Stadt zieht.
The novel is about a family that moves to a new city.
In real life
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