to raise / to grow
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to raise
To raise a child or a young animal, meaning to provide for it, educate it, and care for it until it is grown and independent.
Sie hat ihre beiden Söhne nach dem Tod ihres Mannes alleine großgezogen.
She raised her two sons by herself after her husband's death.
'Großziehen' (to raise / to grow) is a separable verb. The prefix 'groß' goes at the end of the main clause. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
Meine Großmutter zog fünf Kinder groß.
My grandmother raised five children.
The verb combines 'groß' (big/grown) and 'ziehen' (to pull/raise). The figurative idea is that you 'ziehen' (care for and look after) someone or something until the person or plant is 'groß' (grown).
Er hat den verletzten Vogel gefunden und ihn gesund gepflegt und großgezogen.
He found the injured bird and nursed it back to health and raised it.
You can tell which meaning is intended from the object: If it refers to people or animals, it is about raising and upbringing. If it refers to plants, it is about cultivation.
Die Löwin zieht ihre Jungen in der Savanne groß.
The lioness raises her cubs in the savanna.
When referring to people, 'großziehen' (to raise) is often combined with adverbs or phrases such as 'alleine' (alone), 'liebevoll' (lovingly), or 'unter schwierigen Bedingungen' (under difficult conditions).
Sie hat ihre Enkelin nach dem Tod der Eltern großgezogen.
She raised her granddaughter after the parents' death.
to pull / move
'ziehen' and 'großziehen' look similar, but in typical cases they do not mean the same thing. 'ziehen' means a physical movement: you move something toward yourself or along behind you by using force. 'großziehen' refers to a long process: you provide for and raise a child or young animal until it is independent. With plants, it means caring for them until they grow. Learners may confuse the words because 'großziehen' contains the word 'ziehen'. But you cannot simply 'ziehen' a child if you mean 'raise and care for' them.
Meine Nachbarin hat drei Kinder allein großgezogen.
My neighbor raised three children on her own.
Im Garten zieht Anna den Schlauch vorsichtig über den Weg.
In the garden, Anna carefully pulls the hose across the path.