Questions & Answers about Dreh das Ventil!
Why is it Dreh and not Drehst or Drehe?
This is the informal singular command (imperative) for du. To form it, you take the du form (drehst) and remove the -st and the pronoun. In traditional grammar, you would add an -e (Drehe), but in modern spoken German, that -e is almost always dropped.
How could I use the 'r-' words from this lesson (runter, rauf) with this sentence?
You can use them as separable prefixes to specify a direction or intensity. For example, if you want to say 'Turn the valve down' (like lowering the pressure), you use runterdrehen: Dreh das Ventil runter! To turn it up, you use raufdrehen: Dreh das Ventil rauf!
How would I tell someone to turn the valve 'on' or 'off'?
Instead of the directional 'r-' words, you would use the separable prefixes auf (open/on) or zu (closed/off). The sentence would become Dreh das Ventil auf! or Dreh das Ventil zu!.
What case is das Ventil in here?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object (the thing being turned). For neuter nouns like Ventil, the accusative article is exactly the same as the nominative article: das.
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