umdrehen

Umdrehen is a German verb formed from drehen (to turn) with the separable prefix um-. It covers both a physical change of orientation and a figurative reversal of a direction or course. In ordinary use, it is transitive when something is turned around, as in ich drehe den Tisch um (I turn the table over/around). The reflexive form sich umdrehen means to turn oneself around, for example ich drehe mich um (I turn around). The past participle is umgedreht and perfect tense forms use haben or is with the reflexive ich habe mich umgedreht.

Common uses include both literal and metaphorical turning. Physically, you can umdrehen objects or even body parts, such as den Gegenstand umdrehen or sich umdrehen. Figuratively, umdrehen can describe reversing a situation or decision, for instance eine Situation umdrehen or eine Politik umdrehen. In contexts like politics or planning, umdrehen is often used for a change of direction, though more formal alternatives such as umkehren or rückgängig machen may be preferred depending on emphasis and permanence.

Noun forms and related terms: die Umdrehung means rotation or revolution, and is used in technical contexts to refer to a single turn (as in eine Umdrehung). In everyday language, the term Drehzahl (RPM) is typically used to express rotational speed rather than number of Umdrehungen per minute. The prefix um- indicates a change of direction or orientation, while the base verb drehen conveys turning or rotating.