to follow / tighten / trace
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to follow
To follow someone to a new place of residence or work after they have already moved there.
Nachdem er den Job in Berlin bekommen hatte, ist seine Familie ein halbes Jahr später nachgezogen.
After he got the job in Berlin, his family followed six months later.
to entail
To have a particular result or consequence; to result in something. This is a fixed expression.
Ein solches Verhalten wird disziplinarische Maßnahmen nach sich ziehen.
Such behavior will entail disciplinary measures.
to follow suit
To do the same thing that another person or organization has done before; to follow an example, often in economic competition.
Ein Supermarkt hat die Preise gesenkt, und die Konkurrenz musste bald nachziehen.
One supermarket lowered its prices, and the competition soon had to follow suit.
to tighten
To tighten something again that has become loose, for example a screw or a nut.
Du solltest die Schrauben am Fahrrad regelmäßig kontrollieren und nachziehen.
You should regularly check and tighten the screws on the bicycle.
to trace
To go over an existing line or contour again with a pen in order to make it clearer or to copy it.
Die Architektin musste die blassen Linien auf dem alten Bauplan mit Tusche nachziehen.
The architect had to trace the faint lines on the old blueprint with ink.
'Nachziehen' (to follow / tighten / trace) is a separable verb. The prefix 'nach-' goes at the end in main clauses; in subordinate clauses the verb stays together, and in the infinitive with 'zu', 'zu' goes in the middle.
Seine Frau zieht nächsten Monat nach.
His wife is following next month.
The verb consists of the prefix 'nach-' (in the sense of 'after' or 'later') and the verb 'ziehen' (to pull). This basic idea of pulling after or following can be found in most of its meanings.
Wenn ein Unternehmen die Preise erhöht, ziehen die anderen oft nach.
When one company raises prices, the others often follow suit.
When 'nachziehen' (to follow) means movement to another place, the perfect tense is formed with the auxiliary verb 'sein' (to be). This is a common source of mistakes.
Ihre Kinder sind erst ein Jahr später nachgezogen.
Her children followed only a year later.
The expression 'etwas nach sich ziehen' (to entail something) is fixed. The subject is the cause, and the consequence appears as the accusative object directly before 'nach sich'.
Diese Entscheidung wird ernste Konsequenzen nach sich ziehen.
This decision will entail serious consequences.
In the meaning 'to tighten more firmly', the objects are usually mechanical parts. Typical combinations are 'eine Schraube nachziehen' (to tighten a screw), 'eine Mutter nachziehen' (to tighten a nut), or 'einen Gurt nachziehen' (to tighten a belt/strap).
Der Mechaniker muss die Radmuttern noch nachziehen.
The mechanic still needs to tighten the wheel nuts.
When it comes to drawings or plans, 'nachziehen' (to trace) means to draw a line again in order to make it more visible. Typical objects are 'Linien' (lines), 'Konturen' (contours), or 'eine Zeichnung' (a drawing).
Bitte zieh die Umrisse der Figur mit einem schwarzen Stift nach.
Please trace the outline of the figure with a black pen.
to put on / attract
Anziehen a screw generally means fastening it. Nachziehen more precisely means tightening again a screw that was already fastened but later became loose. Anziehen is appropriate when fastening it for the first time; after an inspection or loosening, nachziehen is appropriate.
Nach einigen Wochen zieht Jana die locker gewordene Schraube nach.
After a few weeks, Jana tightens the screw again because it has become loose.
Beim Aufbau zieht Jana die neue Schraube fest an.
While assembling it, Jana tightens the new screw firmly.
