aantrekken

Aantrekken is a Dutch verb with several related meanings that share the basic idea of pulling toward or drawing in. It can denote the act of putting on clothing, drawing attention or interest, tightening or fastening a bolt or screw, and it appears in expressions about emotional attraction.

In the sense of clothing, aantrekken is used as a separable verb: iemand trekt zijn jas aan. In past participle form this is aangetrokken. It is common to hear combined forms such as ik trek mijn jas aan or zij trok haar jurk aan.

In the sense of attracting, the verb conveys that something draws attention, customers, or interest toward it. Typical phrases include een campagne die veel aandacht aantrekt or een tentoonstelling die veel publiek aantrekt. In common usage, attention is often described with aandacht trekken, though aantrekken is also used in this context.

In mechanical or technical contexts, aantrekken means to tighten or fasten something by pulling, such as a bolt or a nut. The past participle is aangetrokken (De bout is aangetrokken). This sense emphasizes the action of drawing components closer or more firmly.

Emotional attraction is expressed with zich aangetrokken voelen tot someone, meaning to feel attracted to someone. For example, Zij voelt zich aangetrokken tot hem describes a personal attraction.

Etymology and usage notes: aantrekken comes from aan + trekken, literally “pull toward.” The verb is versatile, with senses ranging from putting on clothing to attracting attention, tightening fasteners, and describing attraction in relationships. The exact form (split or solid) can vary with tense and construction, but the core idea remains pulling toward or drawing in.