to raise / educate
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to raise
To support and shape a child's development through education, guidance, and the teaching of values and behaviors.
Sie erziehen ihre Kinder zu ehrlichen und respektvollen Menschen.
They raise their children to be honest and respectful people.
The verb consists of the prefix 'er-' and the base verb 'ziehen' (to pull). The metaphorical meaning is to 'draw' someone toward a certain state or behavior, or to 'bring someone up'.
Es ist eine große Verantwortung, einen Menschen zu erziehen.
It is a great responsibility to raise a person.
'Erziehen' (to raise/educate) is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'er-' is never separated from the verb stem, not even in main clauses or in the past participle ('erzogen').
Sie hat ihre Kinder allein erzogen.
She raised her children on her own.
To express the goal of the upbringing or education, the preposition 'zu' is used followed by a noun in the dative. The structure is: jemanden (accusative) zu etwas (dative) erziehen.
Die Eltern erziehen ihre Tochter zur Ehrlichkeit.
The parents raise their daughter to be honest.
The past participle 'erzogen' is very often used as an adjective to describe the result of someone's upbringing. Typical combinations are 'gut erzogen' (well-behaved / well brought up), 'schlecht erzogen' (badly behaved / poorly brought up), or 'streng erzogen' (strictly raised).
Das Kind ist für sein Alter sehr gut erzogen.
The child is very well-behaved for his age.
to form / educate
'bilden' and 'erziehen' can both relate to a person's development. 'Erziehen' is used especially with children and means that parents or other adults shape behavior, values, and habits. You can also 'jemanden zu einem bestimmten Verhalten erziehen' (raise or educate someone toward a particular behavior). 'Bilden' is broader and is more strongly connected with knowledge, thinking, and abilities. A school educates, parents raise children, and often both happen together. The words can be confused because raising a child can also include education. When it is about rules, behavior, and values, 'erziehen' is more precise.
Die Eltern erziehen ihr Kind dazu, ehrlich zu sein.
The parents raise their child to be honest.
Jana bildet ihre Kinder, indem sie viel mit ihnen liest und spricht.
Jana educates her children by reading and talking with them a lot.