heraufziehen

Heraufziehen is a German verb built from ziehen (to pull) and the prefix herauf-, which denotes motion upward toward the speaker or toward a higher position. It can be translated roughly as “to pull up,” “to draw up,” or “to raise upward.” The prefix is separable in many tenses, so the verb is used as ich ziehe … herauf, er zieht … herauf, etc. The noun form das Heraufziehen exists as well, referring to the act of pulling something up or, in a figurative sense, to the arrival of something.

In literal usage, heraufziehen describes physically pulling something upward. Examples include Vorhänge, Deckel or Kapuzen: Ich ziehe den Vorhang herauf; Er hat den Deckel heraufgezogen; Sie zieht sich die Kapuze herauf. The construction can also describe movements where a person climbs up using a rope or a ledge: Er zieht sich am Seil herauf.

In figurative or metaphorical contexts, heraufziehen can express the onset or approaching of something, often something perceived as looming or approaching. A common usage is weather-related: Ein Gewitter zieht herauf. More generally, it can describe the development of a situation that is gradually becoming noticeable or threatening.

Related terms include aufziehen (to pull up, to raise, or to wind up) and hochziehen (to pull up higher or to raise quickly). As a noun, das Heraufziehen can refer to the act itself or, in certain contexts, to the approaching or arising of a situation.