In our recent newsletters about giving directions and driving, one verb that hasn't come up yet is wenden. This verb and its reflexive form sich wenden an have different meanings and a multitude of possible translations. 

The verb abbiegen means "to turn," for example when you are in a car and have to turn left. But when it comes to turning the car around completely, you would often use the verb wenden. It signifies a turnaround, reversal, or shift.

Filmpferde müssen viel können: steigen, sich verbeugen, blitzschnell wenden oder todesmutig vor ein Motorrad galoppieren.

Film horses have to be able to do lots of things: rear up, bow down, turn lightning fast or gallop undaunted by death in front of a motorcycle.

Captions 1-2, Für Tierfreunde: Pferde beim Film

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It also comes in handy when you talk about turning something over, like flipping a pancake or, in this case, a sausage: 

Ein anderes Highlight in Walter Günthers Werkstatt: ein Grillrost, der die Würstchen automatisch wendet.

Another highlight in Walter Günther's workshop: a grill that automatically turns sausages.

Captions 24-25, Erfinder: Nie erfundene Erfindungen

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This may have already occurred to you, but the noun die Wende is indeed related. It is used to talk about the dismantling of the Berlin Wall and subsequent changes after 1989. 

Warum nennt man die Zeit im Herbst neunzehnhundertneunundachtzig in der DDR die Wende?

Why do you call the time in the fall of nineteen hundred eighty-nine in the GDR "the turnaround" ?

Captions 10-11, Bundesrepublik: Deutschland Einbürgerungstest

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The noun can generally be used to describe a "turn of events," like in this caption: 

Während die Männer ihren Doppelsieg feiern, nimmt das Damenrennen eine dramatische Wende!

While the men are celebrating their double win, the lady's race takes a dramatic turn!

Captions 58-59, Knallharte Sportler: Ironman in Frankfurt

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Now let's look at sich wenden an, which has a more figurative meaning of "turning to" someone:

Autofahrer, die am Unfallmeldedienst teilnehmen wollen, können sich dafür an ihren Autoversicherer wenden.

Drivers who want to participate in the accident reporting service can contact their auto insurance company to do so.

Captions 45-56, Sicherheit im Straßenverkehr: Versicherer entwickeln automatischen Notruf für alle Autos

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Du kannst dich natürlich auch direkt an mich wenden.

You can also, of course, reach out to me directly.

Caption 60, Großstadtrevier: Von Monstern und Mördern

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Further Learning
Look at the placement and integration of sich wenden an in sentences on Yabla German and try to construct your own sentences. 

The German letters V and W can cause some confusion for native English speakers, since the German W is pronounced like the English V, and the German V is pronounced like the English F! One easy way to keep them straight is the fact that not only are they next to each other in the alphabet, but they also form the abbreviation of the auto manufacturer Volkswagen, or VW — pronounced "fau vay" in German. Practice saying VW to yourself, emphasizing the F sound in "fau" and the V sound in "vay."

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Ein Ford oder ein VW oder was?

A Ford or a VW or what?

Caption 42, Deutschkurs in Tübingen - Weil oder obwohl?

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The word "Volkswagen" itself has both letters V and W in it, so practice pronouncing it properly to keep the pronunciation of the letters straight: folks vah gen. 

It's worth noting that in many loanwords like Vase, vage, Universität, Verb and the like, the pronunciation of the German V is the same as the English V!

The German letters B and D at the beginning of a word are pronounced like the hard versions of the letters in English, as in "blue," and "dark." But when these letters are at the end of a German word, they soften up considerably. 

Das Grab, der Stein, die Blumen.

The grave, the stone, the flowers.

Caption 18, Großstadtrevier - Von Monstern und Mördern

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The letter B in Grab should not sound like a hard English B, but rather like a soft P: "grap."

Keiner kam auf die Idee, das mit der Hand zu machen.

The idea of doing it by hand didn't occur to anyone.

Caption 22, Erfinder - Nie erfundene Erfindungen

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The letter D in Hand should not sound like the hard English D, but like a soft T: "hant."

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Further Learning
Make a list of German words ending in the letters B and D, and find examples of them being pronounced by native speakers in a real world context on Yabla German.