The German verb "drehen" means "to turn, to rotate" in English. It is a regular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "drehen" across all 7 tenses. New to German verbs? Start with the German verb guide.
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How to Conjugate "drehen" in the Present Tense
Präsens Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | drehe |
| du | you (informal) | drehst |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | dreht |
| wir | we | drehen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | dreht |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | drehen |
Er dreht das Rad.
say it air DRAYT das raht
He turns the wheel.
In other languages
- French Il tourne le volant.
- Spanish Él gira el volante.
- Dutch Hij draait aan het stuur.
Ich drehe den Schlüssel.
say it ikh DRAY-he den SHLUE-sel
I turn the key.
In other languages
- French Je tourne la clé.
- Spanish Giro la llave.
- Dutch Ik draai de sleutel om.
How to Conjugate "drehen" in the Simple Past Tense
Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | drehte |
| du | you (informal) | drehtest |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | drehte |
| wir | we | drehten |
| ihr | you all (informal) | drehtet |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | drehten |
Er drehte das Rad.
say it AIR DRAY-tuh das RAHT
He turned the wheel.
In other languages
- French Il a tourné le volant.
- Spanish Él giró el volante.
- Dutch Hij draaide aan het stuur.
Ich drehte den Schlüssel.
say it IHK DRAY-tuh den SHLUS-sel
I turned the key.
In other languages
- French J'ai tourné la clé.
- Spanish Giré la llave.
- Dutch Ik draaide de sleutel om.
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Perfekt Completed actions (spoken German)| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | habe gedreht |
| du | you (informal) | hast gedreht |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | hat gedreht |
| wir | we | haben gedreht |
| ihr | you all (informal) | habt gedreht |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | haben gedreht |
Er hat sich umgedreht.
say it air hat zikh OOM-guh-DREHHT
He turned around.
In other languages
- French Il s'est retourné.
- Spanish Él se dio la vuelta.
- Dutch Hij draaide zich om.
Ich habe den Schlüssel gedreht.
say it ikh HAH-beh den SHLUE-sel guh-DREHHT
I turned the key.
In other languages
- French J'ai tourné la clé.
- Spanish Giré la llave.
- Dutch Ik draaide de sleutel om.
How to Conjugate "drehen" in the Past Perfect Tense
Plusquamperfekt Actions completed before another past action| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | hatte gedreht |
| du | you (informal) | hattest gedreht |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | hatte gedreht |
| wir | we | hatten gedreht |
| ihr | you all (informal) | hattet gedreht |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | hatten gedreht |
Er hatte sich gedreht.
say it AIR HAH-teh zikh geh-DREHT
He had turned around.
In other languages
- French Il s'était retourné.
- Spanish Él se había dado la vuelta.
- Dutch Hij had zich omgedraaid.
Ich hatte den Schlüssel gedreht.
say it IHK HAH-teh den SHLEW-sel geh-DREHT
I had turned the key.
In other languages
- French J'avais tourné la clé.
- Spanish Yo había girado la llave.
- Dutch Ik had de sleutel omgedraaid.
How to Conjugate "drehen" in the Future Tense
Futur I Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | werde drehen |
| du | you (informal) | wirst drehen |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | wird drehen |
| wir | we | werden drehen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | werdet drehen |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | werden drehen |
Er wird den Kopf drehen.
say it AIR veert den KOPF DRAY-en
He will turn his head.
In other languages
- French Il tournera la tête.
- Spanish Él girará la cabeza.
- Dutch Hij zal zijn hoofd draaien.
Ich werde den Schlüssel drehen.
say it IHK VER-deh den SHLEW-sel DRAY-en
I will turn the key.
In other languages
- French Je tournerai la clé.
- Spanish Giraré la llave.
- Dutch Ik zal de sleutel draaien.
How to Conjugate "drehen" in the Subjunctive I Tense
Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | drehe |
| du | you (informal) | drehest |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | drehe |
| wir | we | drehen |
| ihr | you all (informal) | drehet |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | drehen |
Er drehe das Rad langsam.
say it air DRAY-eh das raht LANG-zam
He turns the wheel slowly.
In other languages
- French Il tourne la roue lentement.
- Spanish Él gira la rueda lentamente.
- Dutch Hij draait het wiel langzaam.
Ich drehe den Schlüssel um.
say it ikh DRAY-eh den SHLUE-sel oom
I turn the key around.
In other languages
- French Je tourne la clé dans l'autre sens.
- Spanish Doy la vuelta a la llave.
- Dutch Ik draai de sleutel om.
How to Conjugate "drehen" in the Subjunctive II Tense
Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | drehte |
| du | you (informal) | drehtest |
| er/sie/es | he/she/it | drehte |
| wir | we | drehten |
| ihr | you all (informal) | drehtet |
| sie/Sie | they/you (formal) | drehten |
Er drehte das Rad langsam.
say it air DRAY-tuh dahs raht LANG-zam
He would turn the wheel slowly.
In other languages
- French Il tournerait la roue lentement.
- Spanish Él giraría la rueda lentamente.
- Dutch Hij zou het wiel langzaam draaien.
Ich drehte den Schlüssel um.
say it IHK DRAY-tuh den SHLUE-sel oom
I would turn the key.
In other languages
- French Je tournerais la clé.
- Spanish Yo giraría la llave.
- Dutch Ik zou de sleutel draaien.
Frequently Asked Questions About "drehen"
Is "drehen" regular or irregular in German?
"Drehen" is a regular German verb that follows standard conjugation patterns for its verb group.
What does "drehen" mean in English?
The German verb "drehen" means "to turn, to rotate" in English.
How do you conjugate "drehen" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Präsens): ich → drehe, du → drehst, er/sie/es → dreht, wir → drehen, ihr → dreht, sie/Sie → drehen.
How many tenses does "drehen" have in German?
"Drehen" is conjugated across 7 tenses in German: Present, Simple Past, Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future, Subjunctive I, Subjunctive II.
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