Überziehen

Überziehen is a German verb with several related meanings connected by the core idea of placing a layer over something or exceeding a limit. It is commonly used in contexts of clothing, coating surfaces, and financial accounts, among others.

Meaning and usage

One primary sense is physical layering: to put on or drape something over oneself or another object. Examples include pulling a coat over the head or covering with a blanket. In German this is a separable-prefix verb: Ich ziehe mir den Mantel über. In the perfect tense, the participle is überzogen or the full form is used as überzogen, e.g. Ich habe mir den Mantel übergezogen.

A second sense is financial: to overdraw a bank account or exceed a credit limit. Examples: Mein Konto ist überzogen. Ich habe mein Konto überzogen. In this sense the action is expressed with the verb in combinations like überziehen, and the related noun die Überziehung denotes an overdraft. Common compounds include die Überziehungsgebühr (overdraft fee) and das Überziehungslimit (overdraft limit).

A third sense refers to coating or covering a surface with a layer of material, such as color or metal. Examples: eine Wand mit Farbe überziehen; eine Oberfläche mit Gold überziehen. The participle form is again überzogen, and the sense emphasizes applying a coating or finish.

Etymology and form

Überziehen is built from über- (over) and ziehen (to pull). The verb has both separable-prefix and non-separable uses depending on context; in clothing contexts the prefix tends to separate in main clauses (zieh e den Mantel über), while in some coating or financial uses the form may appear as a single unit in participles (überzogen).

See also: Überziehung, Überziehungsgebühr, Überziehen (coat or cover).