Breakdown of Dreh den Lenker um dreißig Grad.
dreißig
thirty
um
by
drehen
to turn
der Lenker
the bicycle handlebar
Questions & Answers about Dreh den Lenker um dreißig Grad.
Why is the verb Dreh and not drehst or du drehst?
Because this sentence is a command addressed to one person in the informal du form.
The verb is drehen.
For the du-imperative, German usually drops the -st ending and also leaves out the pronoun du:
- du drehst = you turn
- Dreh! = turn!
So Dreh den Lenker ... means Turn the handlebar/steering control ...
German commands often start directly with the verb.
Can I also say Drehe den Lenker um dreißig Grad?
Yes. For many verbs, the du-imperative can appear both:
- Dreh den Lenker ...
- Drehe den Lenker ...
The version without -e is more common in everyday German, so Dreh sounds very natural.
Why is it den Lenker?
Because Lenker is the direct object of the verb drehen, so it takes the accusative case.
The noun is:
- der Lenker = nominative
- den Lenker = accusative
So:
- Der Lenker ist kaputt. = The handlebar/steering control is broken.
- Dreh den Lenker. = Turn the handlebar/steering control.
Since Lenker is masculine, der changes to den in the accusative.