anzuziehen

Anzuziehen is the infinitive with zu of the German verb anziehen and denotes two core meanings that are common in everyday usage. First, it means to put on clothing or to dress oneself or someone else. Second, it can mean to attract or draw toward something or someone, such as attention, interest, or visitors. The noun form das Anziehen refers to the act or process of dressing, while the related adjective angezogen describes someone who is dressed or well dressed.

In the clothing sense, anziehen is a separable verb. In main clauses the prefix separates and moves to the end: Ich ziehe mir die Jacke an. You can also say Ich ziehe mir die Jacke an. The past participle is angezogen, used with haben: Ich habe mir die Jacke angezogen. The infinitive with zu is used in constructions like Ich habe vor, mir eine Jacke anzuziehen, or Wir planen, uns warm anzuziehen.

In the sense of attracting, anziehen means to draw or attract toward someone or something. The subject attracts others or attention: Der Duft zieht mich an. Das Museum zieht viele Besucher an. Common constructions include etwas zieht jemanden/etwas an or etwas zieht Aufmerksamkeit auf sich. This use often employs a direct object in the accusative or a noun phrase describing what is attracted.

A related pair is ausziehen, the opposite meaning of undressing. The verb anziehen also participates in everyday phrases such as sich warm anziehen for dressing warmly. Overall, anzuziehen encompasses both the act of dressing and the figurative act of attracting.