das  Drehbuch

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈdʁeːbʊx/

🎬 What exactly is a Drehbuch?

A Drehbuch (das Drehbuch, plural: die Drehbücher) is the textual foundation for a film, a television show, or sometimes a play. *In English, this translates to 'screenplay' or 'script'.* It contains all the dialogues of the characters, detailed descriptions of the scenes, stage directions for the actors, and often technical notes for camera and editing.

Imagine it as the 'recipe' for a movie: every ingredient (scene, dialogue, action) is precisely described so that the desired film emerges in the end.

• Main meaning: Text template for film/television (screenplay, script)
• Article: always das (neuter)

⚠️ *There are no different meanings based on different articles, as 'Drehbuch' is always neuter.*

Article rules for der, die, and das

📊 Grammar in Detail: Das Drehbuch

The word "Drehbuch" is a neuter noun (*ein sächliches Substantiv*). Here is its declension (*Deklination*):

Example Sentences

1. Der Regisseur liest das Drehbuch sehr aufmerksam. (The director reads the screenplay very carefully. - Accusative Singular)
2. Die Entwicklung des Drehbuchs hat lange gedauert. (The development of the screenplay took a long time. - Genitive Singular)
3. In dem Drehbuch stehen alle Dialoge. (All dialogues are in the screenplay. - Dative Singular)
4. Die Schauspieler erhielten die neuen Drehbücher gestern. (The actors received the new screenplays yesterday. - Accusative Plural)
5. Die Qualität der Drehbücher entscheidet oft über den Erfolg eines Films. (The quality of the screenplays often determines a film's success. - Genitive Plural)

💡 How to use 'das Drehbuch'?

The word Drehbuch is primarily used in the context of *Film* (film) and *Fernsehen* (television). *It's a central term in film production.*

• Film production: "Das Drehbuch wurde mehrfach überarbeitet." (The screenplay was revised multiple times.)
• Literature/Writing: "Sie hat ein Talent dafür, spannende Drehbücher zu schreiben." (She has a talent for writing exciting screenplays.)
• Planning/Metaphor: *Less commonly, it's used metaphorically for a detailed plan or schedule, e.g.,* "Das Meeting lief genau nach Drehbuch." (The meeting went exactly according to plan/script. - *This usage is rather colloquial.*).

Distinction: A Manuskript can be more general (also for books, speeches), while a Skript is often used synonymously with Drehbuch, but can also refer to shorter or technical texts. A Libretto is the text for an opera or musical.

🧠 Mnemonics for 'das Drehbuch'

1. For the article 'das': Think of das Buch (the book). A *Drehbuch* is a special type of book for the film 'shoot' (*Dreh*). Both are neuter: das Buch, das Drehbuch.
2. For the meaning: A *Drehbuch* is the Buch (book) that everything in the film Dreh (shoot) revolves around (*drehen* also means 'to turn' or 'revolve'). *It's the guide, the foundation of the film.*

Imagine a director holding a BOOK (*Buch*) and TURNING (*dreht*) around with it to plan all the scenes – that's their *DREH-BUCH* (shooting book).

🔄 Similar and Opposite Terms

Caution: A Storyboard is not a synonym, but a visual representation of the *Drehbuch* with drawings of the individual shots.

😂 A Little Joke

Fragt der Produzent den Drehbuchautor: "Ist das neue Drehbuch lustig?"
Antwortet der Autor: "Keine Ahnung, ich habe es noch nicht gelesen. Aber mein Computer hat beim Speichern dauernd gekichert!"

Translation:
The producer asks the screenwriter: "Is the new screenplay funny?"
The writer replies: "I don't know, I haven't read it yet. But my computer kept giggling while saving it!"

✍️ Poem about the Drehbuch

Auf weißen Seiten, schwarz auf weiß,
entsteht die Welt, mal laut, mal leis'.
Ein Held erwacht, ein Schurke droht,
Dialoge scharf wie Schwertes Stoß.
Das Drehbuch lenkt, was bald geschieht,
vom ersten Bild zum letzten Lied.
Es ist der Plan, der Geist, die Spur,
für Film und Traum, Kultur pur.

Translation:
On white pages, black on white,
the world arises, loud or light.
A hero wakes, a villain threats,
Dialogues sharp as sword's sharp edge yet.
The screenplay guides what soon takes place,
From the first frame to the final bass.
It is the plan, the spirit, the trace,
For film and dream, pure culture's grace.

❓ Can you solve the riddle?

Ich bin ein Buch, doch liest man mich selten zum Spaß allein.
Ich sage Schauspielern, was sie tun und sagen sollen – ganz fein.
Regisseure folgen mir, Szene für Szene, Bild für Bild.
Ohne mich gäb's keinen Film, kein Fernseh-Heldenschild.

Was bin ich?

Answer: Das Drehbuch

Translation:
I am a book, but rarely read for fun alone.
I tell actors what to do and say – finely shown.
Directors follow me, scene by scene, shot by shot.
Without me, there'd be no film, no TV hero's plot.

What am I?

Answer: The screenplay (das Drehbuch)

ℹ️ More Details about Drehbuch

Word Composition (*Wortzusammensetzung*):

The word "Drehbuch" is composed of:

• drehen: *Refers to 'shooting' a film (from the turning of the camera crank historically, or generally the act of filming).*
• Buch: *Means 'book', referring to the textual form.*

*So, it literally means the "shooting book".*

Trivia:

• *Screenplays often follow a standardized format (e.g., Courier font, specific margins) to help estimate the length of a scene (one page often corresponds to about one minute of film).*
• *There are various stages of a screenplay, from the initial idea (Exposé, Treatment) through various drafts to the final 'Shooting Script' (Drehfassung).*