umkehren
[ˈʊmˌkeːʁən]
To say reverse in German, as in making a mechanism or a flow run the opposite way, use umkehren.
umkehren covers reversing a process, a direction or a flow, such as reversing an electric circuit.
Meaning: to cause a mechanism or vehicle to operate or move in the opposite directions (verb)
Which one should you use?
For undoing an action or process, German says rückgängig machen. In casual speech zurückmachen can also mean to undo something. The adverb andersherum means the other way round.
How does it change in a sentence?
umkehren is separable, so the prefix um moves to the end of the clause in the simple present and simple past, as in kehrte um. The past participle is umgekehrt.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use umkehren for the reverse gear of a car. That gear is called Rückwärtsgang.
Did you know?
- The German word umkehren is a distant relative of the Old English word ymbċierran, which meant 'to turn about' or 'revolve'.
- Because umkehren is a separable verb, the prefix um can fly to the very end of a long sentence, far away from the root kehren.
- In German, the word umgekehrt is commonly used as an adverb meaning 'vice versa' or 'the other way around' in logical arguments, not just for physical movement.
Examples in context
- Und so kehrt man den Stromkreislauf um.And this is how you reverse the circuit.Here kehrt and um are the split parts of the verb, with um at the end of the sentence.
- Bitte kehren Sie umPlease reverse
- Wir müssen die Entscheidung umkehrenWe need to reverse the decision
- Können Sie die Änderungen rückgängig machen?Can you reverse the changes?
- Das Auto fuhr in die entgegengesetzte RichtungThe car went in the opposite direction
- Kannst du dich umdrehen?Can you turn around?
- Mach die Änderungen zurückUndo the changes
- Wir könnten es auch andersherum versuchenWe could also try it the other way round
- Er kehrte den Prozess um.He reversed the process.
- Wir müssen die Laufrichtung des Motors umkehren.We must reverse the direction of the motor.
- Kann man den Lauf der Maschine umkehren?Is it possible to reverse the machine's operation?
Example conversation
Maximilian is helping Hannah park a car in a tight driveway.
- MaximilianDu musst hier langsam umkehren, Hannah.You have to reverse slowly here, Hannah.
- HannahIst es hier genug Platz zum Umkehren?Is there enough room to reverse here?
- MaximilianJa, aber fahr ganz vorsichtig.Yes, but drive very carefully.
- HannahOkay, ich versuche es jetzt.Okay, I'll try it now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry umkehren, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries umkehren, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
