Verb

drehen

to turn, to spin, to shoot (a film), to twist

Dreh den Schlüssel nach rechts.

Turn the key to the right.

Das Rad dreht sich schnell.

The wheel is spinning fast.

Wir drehen einen neuen Film.

We are shooting a new film.

Es dreht sich alles um Geld.

Everything revolves around money.

((sth.)) to turn sth. He dreht den Kopf.

sich ((um+4)) to revolve around sth. Es dreht sich alles um dich.

((sth.)) to shoot sth. (film) Sie drehen einen Film in Berlin.

Synonyms: wenden, rotieren; Antonyms: anhalten, stoppen

From Old High German 'drāen' (to twist), related to the old sense of English 'throw'.

Imagine 'draining' a bottle by 'turning' it upside down. 'Drehen' sounds a bit like 'drain'.

This page is designed for learning support. Please use it as a learning reference, not as a formal reference.