tourner
turn
The French word 'tourner' is used to indicate the act of rotating or turning something. Just like its English counterpart 'turn', 'tourner' can be used in various contexts. For instance, it can indicate a physical action like turning the head, a direction change while driving, or the act of flipping pages in a book. Also, it can be used metaphorically, like turning over a new leaf i.e., 'tourner une nouvelle feuille'.
Example sentences using: tourner
Je vais tourner à gauche au prochain feu.
I will turn left at the next light.
This is a sentence that could be used by a driver or pedestrian, indicating the direction they plan to take.
Pourriez-vous tourner la page, s'il vous plaît?
Could you please turn the page?
This sentence is used when someone wants another individual to turn the page of a book or document.
Pour extraire le jus, vous devez tourner le couvercle.
To extract the juice, you need to turn the lid.
This is an instruction about how to use a specific type of juicer. The lid needs to be turned or rotated.
Nous devrions tourner ce problème dans tous les sens avant de prendre une décision.
We should turn this problem all around before making a decision.
This is a more metaphorical use of 'tourner', referring to considering all aspects or angles of a problem.
Ne tourne pas autour du pot, dis-moi directement ce que tu veux.
Don't beat around the bush, tell me directly what you want.
This is a common idiom in French and English, using 'tourner' in a figurative sense to mean avoid getting to the point.
C'est ton tour de tourner le volant.
It's your turn to turn the steering wheel.
This sentence could be used in a driving lesson, signalling that it's the student's turn to steer.
La Terre tourne autour du Soleil.
The Earth revolves around the Sun.
In this sentence, 'tourne' is used to describe the Earth's orbit around the Sun.
Pour voir la suite, tu dois tourner le coin de la page.
To see the rest, you need to turn the corner of the page.
This sentence is about reading a book or document, specifically referring to turning the page.
Tu dois tourner le mécanisme pour ouvrir la porte.
You need to turn the mechanism to open the door.
This sentence is about operating a mechanical system, like a lock, where the verb 'tourner' indicates the required action.
Il faut tourner le bouton pour allumer la machine.
You need to turn the knob to start the machine.
In this context, 'tourner' means to turn or rotate a specific object, which in this case is a knob of a machine.