mittragen
to carry along
To physically carry something together with one or more other people.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du mir helfen, den schweren Tisch mitzutragen?
Can you help me carry along the heavy table?
mittragen
to carry along / support
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Meanings
mittragen
to support
To support a decision, responsibility, or consequence in principle and share the associated burdens or consequences with others.
EXAMPLE
Ich kann diese umweltschädliche Entscheidung der Firma nicht länger mittragen.
I can no longer support this environmentally harmful decision by the company.
Usage tips
Separable verb
'Mittragen' is a separable verb. In a main clause, the prefix 'mit' goes at the end. In the infinitive with 'zu', 'zu' is inserted between the parts: 'mitzutragen'.
EXAMPLE
Er trug den schweren Koffer allein, weil niemand mitgetragen hat.
He carried the heavy suitcase alone because no one helped carry it.
Meaning of the prefix
The prefix 'mit-' always means 'together with others' or 'jointly'. The verb 'mittragen' therefore always describes an action that you do not perform alone.
EXAMPLE
Alle im Team müssen die Entscheidung mittragen.
Everyone on the team has to support the decision.
Context clue
The context makes the meaning clear: if it is about physical objects (table, suitcase), the literal meaning is intended. If it is about abstract things (decision, responsibility, costs), the figurative meaning is intended.
EXAMPLE
Könnt ihr das Sofa bitte mittragen?
Could you please help carry the sofa?
Typical collocations
In the figurative meaning, 'mittragen' is often combined with abstract nouns such as 'eine Entscheidung' (a decision), 'die Verantwortung' (the responsibility), 'die Konsequenzen' (the consequences), or 'ein Risiko' (a risk).
EXAMPLE
Nicht alle Mitarbeiter wollten das Risiko mittragen.
Not all employees wanted to share the risk.
Compare with
mittragen vs unterstützen
to support
Unterstützen can mean approving of a decision and advocating for it. Mittragen goes further: you support the decision while also taking on part of the responsibility for it or its consequences. Unterstützen is appropriate for mere agreement; when responsibility is shared, mittragen is more precise.
mittragen
Als Vorstandsmitglied trägt Mira die Entscheidung und ihre möglichen Folgen mit.
As a board member, Mira shares responsibility for the decision and its possible consequences.
unterstützen
Mira unterstützt die Entscheidung des Vorstands, ist aber nicht für ihre Folgen verantwortlich.
Mira supports the board's decision but is not responsible for its consequences.
In real life
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