to screw
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to screw
To fasten, loosen, or connect something using a screw. This is done through a turning motion that uses the screw's thread.
Ich muss nur noch die letzte Leiste an die Wand schrauben, dann ist das Regal fertig.
I just have to screw the last strip to the wall, and then the shelf is finished.
to unscrew / screw
To open or close something with a turning motion, especially a lid with a thread.
Kannst du bitte den Deckel vom Marmeladenglas schrauben? Ich bekomme ihn nicht auf.
Could you please unscrew the lid from the jam jar? I can't get it open.
to tinker with
Colloquial for working on something, tinkering with it, or repairing it, often in reference to mechanical or technical devices.
Er verbringt jedes Wochenende damit, an seinem alten Motorrad zu schrauben.
He spends every weekend tinkering with his old motorcycle.
The verb 'schrauben' (to screw) is directly derived from the noun 'die Schraube' (the screw). The typical turning motion you make with a screw is the core meaning of the verb.
Er nahm einen Schraubenzieher, um die Schraube festzuziehen.
He took a screwdriver to tighten the screw.
When you fasten something to a place, you use 'an' + accusative for the direction (where to?). When you are working on something that is already attached, you use 'an' + dative (where?).
Er schraubt das neue Schild an die Tür.
He screws the new sign onto the door.
In the colloquial meaning 'an etwas arbeiten/tüfteln' (to work on/tinker with something), 'schrauben' is always used with the preposition 'an' and the dative. The object being worked on is in the dative.
Sie schraubt schon seit Stunden an ihrem Fahrrad.
She has been tinkering with her bicycle for hours.
The expression 'an etwas schrauben' in the sense of 'an etwas arbeiten' (to work on something) or 'etwas reparieren' (to repair something) is colloquial. In a formal text, you would more likely use 'reparieren' (to repair), 'warten' (to service/maintain), or 'optimieren' (to optimize).
Am Wochenende schraube ich gerne an meinem alten Computer.
On the weekend, I like tinkering with my old computer.
to turn / film
With a lid, both words can describe a turning movement. Drehen describes only the movement and can also be used without opening or closing anything. Schrauben, on the other hand, emphasizes opening or closing something by means of a thread. Drehen is suitable for any turning movement; for a threaded lid being opened or closed in this way, schrauben is the better choice.
Er schraubt den Deckel auf, um die Flasche zu öffnen.
He screws the lid open to open the bottle.
Er dreht den Deckel nur ein wenig, ohne ihn zu öffnen.
He turns the lid only a little without opening it.
