to remove / pay off / wear out
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to remove
To remove or tear down something layer by layer, for example soil, an old building, or a mountain.
Die Arbeiter trugen die oberste Erdschicht ab, um das Fundament zu legen.
The workers removed the top layer of soil in order to lay the foundation.
to pay off
To gradually pay off a debt through regular payments.
Er wird Jahre brauchen, um seine Schulden vollständig abzutragen.
He will need years to pay off his debts completely.
to wear out
To wear a piece of clothing for so long that it becomes old and worn out.
In armen Familien mussten die jüngeren Kinder oft die abgetragenen Kleider der älteren Geschwister auftragen.
In poor families, the younger children often had to wear out the worn clothes of their older siblings.
'Abtragen' (to remove / pay off / wear out) is a separable verb. In a main clause, the prefix 'ab-' goes at the end. In subordinate clauses or in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
Die Firma trägt das alte Fabrikgebäude ab.
The company is tearing down the old factory building.
The word is made up of 'ab-' and 'tragen' (to carry/wear). The prefix 'ab-' here means 'away' or 'becoming less'. So you 'carry away' something layer by layer, carry away a debt, or wear clothing until it is 'gone', meaning worn out.
Der Bagger trug die oberste Schicht des Bodens ab.
The excavator removed the top layer of the ground.
You can easily recognize the meaning of 'abtragen' (to remove / pay off / wear out) from the object: with soil or buildings, it is about removing. With debts or loans, it is about paying. With clothing, it is about becoming worn out.
Man muss den alten Schuppen abtragen, bevor man neu bauen kann.
You have to tear down the old shed before you can build something new.
In a financial context, 'abtragen' (to pay off) is almost always combined with liabilities. Typical phrases are: 'Schulden abtragen' (to pay off debts), 'einen Kredit abtragen' (to pay off a loan), or 'eine Hypothek abtragen' (to pay off a mortgage).
Wie lange werdet ihr brauchen, um die Hypothek für das Haus abzutragen?
How long will you need to pay off the mortgage on the house?
In the meaning 'to wear out clothing', the past participle 'abgetragen' is often used like an adjective to describe old, frequently worn clothing.
Er trug eine abgetragene Jeans und ein altes T-Shirt.
He wore worn-out jeans and an old T-shirt.
to tear down / tear off / break off
Abreißen and abtragen can both refer to removing an old building. With abreißen, the structure is destroyed and removed; abtragen, on the other hand, emphasizes controlled removal layer by layer. For work done stone by stone, abtragen is therefore the better choice.
Wegen der nahen Häuser tragen Arbeiter die alte Lagerhalle Stein für Stein ab.
Because of the nearby houses, workers carefully dismantle the old warehouse stone by stone.
Ein Bagger reißt die alte Lagerhalle vollständig ab.
An excavator completely tears down the old warehouse.
