verdrehen
Translation
to twist, to sprain, to distort, to roll (one's eyes)
Examples
Ich habe mir den Fuß verdreht.
I sprained my foot.
Er verdreht immer die Tatsachen.
He always distorts the facts.
Sie hat genervt die Augen verdreht.
She annoyedly rolled her eyes.
Grammar Patterns
sich3 et4 verdrehen to sprain/twist (a part of one's body) I sprained my foot.
((sth.)) to distort (sth.) He always distorts the facts.
die Augen verdrehen to roll one's eyes She annoyedly rolled her eyes.
Similar Words
Synonyms: verbiegen (to bend), verzerren (to distort); Antonyms: gerade richten (to straighten)
Etymology
Comes from 'ver-' (a prefix often meaning 'wrongly' or 'away') + 'drehen' (to turn). The combination suggests turning something incorrectly.
Memory Tips
Connect 'drehen' (to turn) with the 'ver-' prefix indicating a mistake. A 'wrong turn' can be a sprained ankle or distorted facts.