to yank / to strain
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to yank
To pull something or someone with great force and often jerkily or roughly.
Das Kind zerrte ungeduldig am Ärmel seiner Mutter, weil es weitergehen wollte.
The child impatiently yanked at his mother's sleeve because he wanted to keep going.
The prefix 'zer-' is inseparable and often indicates a forceful, sometimes destructive action. Here it intensifies the idea of pulling into a rough, violent act.
Er zerrte das schwere Paket die Treppe hinauf.
He yanked the heavy package up the stairs.
You can either say 'etwas (Akkusativ) zerren' (to yank something; accusative) to move it, or 'an etwas (Dativ) zerren' (to yank at something; dative) to pull on a part of something. Pay attention to the different cases.
Die Polizei zerrte den Demonstranten von der Straße.
The police yanked the protester off the street.
In the figurative meaning, 'zerren' (to strain) is almost always used in the fixed expression 'an den Nerven zerren' (to strain someone's nerves). It describes a situation that is very mentally exhausting.
Der ständige Baulärm von nebenan zerrt an meinen Nerven.
The constant construction noise from next door is straining my nerves.
to pull / move
'ziehen' and 'zerren' both describe moving something or someone with force. 'ziehen' is neutral and can be calm or careful. 'zerren' is stronger: it sounds rough, jerky, or impatient. Learners may confuse the words because both express a pulling movement. When the movement is described normally or neutrally, 'ziehen' fits. When someone pulls too hard, hastily, or roughly, 'zerren' fits better.
Vor dem Laden zerrt der Hund ungeduldig an der Leine.
In front of the shop, the dog impatiently yanks at the leash.
Bitte zieh die Tür leise zu, das Kind schläft.
Please pull the door closed quietly; the child is sleeping.