- ziehen is a common German verb meaning "to pull" and "to move."
- It can be used in both literal (e.g., pulling a rope) and figurative (e.g., drawing conclusions) ways.
- It is a regular verb in terms of stem changes for most uses but has some important uses as a separable verb (nachziehen, einziehen, etc.).
- The root is zieh-, from the idea of drawing or pulling something along.
Meaning & Usage
| Meaning | Usage Example (German) | Translation (English) |
|---|---|---|
| To pull | Er zieht die Tür. | He pulls the door. |
| To move (relocate) | Wir ziehen nächste Woche um. | We are moving next week. |
| To draw (attention, conclusions) | Sein Argument zieht. | His argument holds (draws attention). |
- Literal: Ziehen is used when something is physically pulled (ziehen an + dative for "pull on...").
- Moving: It also expresses relocating residences (umziehen for "to move house," ausziehen for "to move out").
- Figurative: Can mean drawing attention, consequences, or influence.
'ziehen' means 'to pull' and also 'to move' (when relocating).
'ziehen' is used for pulling, moving (relocating), and even drawing conclusions or influence.
'ziehen' is used for physical actions and also for some figurative meanings.
Conjugation: Present Tense
| Person | Conjugation | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | ziehe | Ich ziehe den Stuhl. | I pull the chair. |
| du | ziehst | Du ziehst die Aufmerksamkeit. | You draw attention. |
| er/sie/es | zieht | Er zieht am Seil. | He pulls the rope. |
| wir | ziehen | Wir ziehen um. | We are moving. |
| ihr | zieht | Ihr zieht die Koffer. | You (pl.) pull the suitcases. |
| sie/Sie | ziehen | Sie ziehen zusammen. | They move in together. |
- The stem is zieh-, with -e/-st/-t/-en/-t/-en endings typical of regular verbs.
The stem is 'zieh-' for conjugations.
Correct forms are ziehe, ziehst, zieht, ziehen.
Simple Past (Präteritum) & Past Participle
- Präteritum: zog, zogst, zog, zogen, zogt, zogen
- Participle II: gezogen (used with haben or sein depending on meaning)
| Tense | German | English |
|---|---|---|
| Präteritum | Ich zog... | I pulled... |
| Perfekt | Ich bin/ habe gezogen | I have pulled/moved |
- Used with sein when referring to movement (sie ist gezogen), and haben when used transitively.
The Präteritum root is 'zog'.
Correct are: zog, zogst, zogen, zogt.
The past participle is 'gezogen'.
Important Derivatives & Separable Forms
| Derived Verb | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| umziehen | to move (house) | Separable: zieht um... |
| ausziehen | to move out/disrobe | Separable: zieht aus... |
| einziehen | to move in; to draw in (air) | Can be separable or inseparable |
| nachziehen | to pull after; to follow | Separable |
- These derived forms are very common and often more useful than the base verb alone.
'umziehen' means to move (change clothes or residence).
'einziehen' can mean to move in or to draw in (like air).
Yes, they are important related verbs.
Conclusion
ziehen is a versatile German verb central to expressing both physical and metaphorical movement, as well as relocation.
- Core meanings: to pull (physical/abstract) and to move (relocate).
- Commonly appears in useful derived forms: umziehen, ausziehen, einziehen.
- Mastering ziehen opens doors to understanding many everyday situations in German.
'ziehen' means 'to pull' and 'to move' (in the sense of relocating).
'ziehen' can be used for pulling (Er zieht den Schlitten) and moving (Wir ziehen um).
The stem used in present tense is 'zieh-'.
Correct forms are: ich ziehe, du ziehst, er zieht, wir ziehen.
The simple past for ich is 'zog'.
The past participle is 'gezogen'.
*umziehen* (to move), *ausziehen* (to move out/disrobe), *einziehen* (to move in).