anziehend
attractive
Attractive in a way that inspires sympathy, interest, or desire in others; charming or captivating.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat eine sehr anziehende Art, Geschichten zu erzählen.
She has a very attractive way of telling stories.
anziehend
attractive / attracting
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Meanings
anziehend
attracting
In physics, the property of exerting a force that draws in other objects or particles.
EXAMPLE
Die anziehende Kraft des Magneten sorgte dafür, dass die Nadel daran haften blieb.
The attracting force of the magnet caused the needle to stick to it.
Usage tips
Word structure
'Anziehend' (attractive/attracting) is the present participle of the verb 'anziehen' (to attract/to put on). The literal meaning 'etwas an sich ziehen' (to pull something toward oneself) helps explain both meanings: the metaphorical attraction of people and the physical attraction of objects.
EXAMPLE
Ein starker Magnet kann Eisenteile anziehen.
A strong magnet can attract iron parts.
Typical collocations
In the meaning 'attraktiv' (attractive), 'anziehend' (attractive) often describes people or their qualities. Typical combinations are 'eine anziehende Persönlichkeit' (an attractive personality), 'ein anziehendes Lächeln' (an attractive smile), or 'eine anziehende Ausstrahlung' (an attractive charisma/presence).
EXAMPLE
Er hat eine unglaublich anziehende Ausstrahlung.
He has an incredibly attractive presence.
Usage pattern
A very common construction is 'jemanden/etwas anziehend finden' (to find someone/something attractive). It expresses that a person finds another person or a thing attractive.
EXAMPLE
Ich finde seine ruhige und selbstbewusste Art sehr anziehend.
I find his calm and confident manner very attractive.
Context clue
This meaning is limited to the natural sciences, especially physics. Words such as 'Kraft' (force), 'Magnetfeld' (magnetic field), 'Gravitation' (gravity), or 'Masse' (mass) in the sentence are clear clues to this context.
EXAMPLE
Die Erde übt auf den Mond eine anziehende Kraft aus.
The Earth exerts an attracting force on the Moon.
Compare with
anziehend vs attraktiv
attractive
Attraktiv and anziehend can both express that an offer sparks interest and appeal. Attraktiv often also evaluates specific advantages or overall desirability, while anziehend emphasizes the immediate effect on other people. Use attraktiv for an objective assessment and anziehend for a noticeable attraction.
anziehend
Das Angebot ist anziehend, weil seine freundliche Präsentation viele Menschen neugierig macht.
The offer is appealing because its friendly presentation makes many people curious.
attraktiv
Das Angebot ist attraktiv, weil es flexible Zeiten und eine gute Bezahlung bietet.
The offer is attractive because it offers flexible hours and good pay.
In real life
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