hochziehen
to pull up
To physically move or pull something upward.
EXAMPLE
Er zog die schwere Kiste mit einem Seil hoch.
He pulled the heavy box up with a rope.
hochziehen
to pull up / tease
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
hochziehen
to put up
To erect or build a building or another large structure.
EXAMPLE
Innerhalb weniger Monate haben sie das neue Bürogebäude hochgezogen.
Within a few months, they put up the new office building.
jemanden hochziehen
to tease someone
Colloquial for teasing someone, ribbing them, or making fun of them.
EXAMPLE
Seine Freunde ziehen ihn immer wegen seiner alten Krawatte hoch.
His friends are always teasing him about his old tie.
sich hochziehen an
to pull oneself up
To move upward by holding on to something using one's own physical strength.
EXAMPLE
Der Kletterer konnte sich gerade noch an dem Felsvorsprung hochziehen.
The climber was just barely able to pull himself up on the rock ledge.
hochziehen
to sniffle
Colloquial for noisily drawing mucus up through the nose instead of blowing one's nose.
EXAMPLE
Hör auf, ständig die Nase hochzuziehen, und nimm ein Taschentuch!
Stop constantly sniffling and take a tissue!
Usage tips
Separable verb
'Hochziehen' (to pull up) is a separable verb. In main clauses, the prefix 'hoch' goes at the end. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
EXAMPLE
Er zieht die schwere Tasche hoch.
He pulls the heavy bag up.
Word structure
The verb consists of the direction 'hoch' (up) and the verb 'ziehen' (to pull). Most meanings can be derived from this basic idea of 'pulling upward', including the figurative ones.
EXAMPLE
Die Bauarbeiter ziehen die Mauer Stein für Stein hoch.
The construction workers are putting up the wall brick by brick.
Context clue
The many meanings can often be distinguished by the object or the grammar. A physical object (box, flag), a building, a person ('jemanden'), a reflexive pronoun ('sich'), or 'die Nase' (the nose) point to the respective meaning.
EXAMPLE
Sie zog die Augenbrauen hoch. (Körperteil)
She raised her eyebrows. (body part)
Sentence structure: teasing
When 'hochziehen' means 'necken' (to tease), it always needs a person in the accusative. An explanation often follows with 'mit' (dative) or 'wegen' (genitive/colloquially dative), naming the reason for the teasing.
EXAMPLE
Die Kollegen ziehen ihn immer mit seiner bunten Krawatte hoch.
The colleagues are always teasing him about his colorful tie.
Sentence structure: reflexive
In the meaning of 'sich nach oben bewegen' (to move upward), the verb is reflexive and is used with the preposition 'an' + dative. The structure is: 'sich an etwas (Dativ) hochziehen' (to pull oneself up on something).
EXAMPLE
Das Kind zog sich am Tisch hoch und machte seine ersten Schritte.
The child pulled itself up on the table and took its first steps.
Register: building
When you say that someone 'hochzieht' (puts up) a building, this is a rather colloquial and vivid way of saying 'bauen' (to build) or 'errichten' (to erect). It often emphasizes speed or impressive height.
EXAMPLE
Die haben das neue Einkaufszentrum in nur einem Jahr hochgezogen.
They put up the new shopping center in just one year.
Compare with
hochziehen vs bauen
to build
Bauen is the general expression for erecting a building or another structure. In this context, hochziehen refers to erecting a building or a large structure and therefore tends to suggest a larger construction project. Bauen works more broadly for a neutral statement.
hochziehen
Auf dem freien Grundstück ziehen sie einen großen Wohnblock hoch.
They are putting up a large apartment block on the vacant plot of land.
bauen
Auf dem freien Grundstück bauen sie ein kleines Haus.
They are building a small house on the vacant plot of land.
In real life
Loading video examples...