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Ich ziehe den Stuhl an den Tisch.

Ich ziehe den Stuhl an den Tisch.
I pull the chair to the table.

Breakdown of Ich ziehe den Stuhl an den Tisch.

ich
I
der Tisch
the table
der Stuhl
the chair
an
to
ziehen
to move
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Questions & Answers about Ich ziehe den Stuhl an den Tisch.

Why is it den Stuhl and not der Stuhl?

Because den is the accusative form of the masculine article, and der Stuhl is the direct object (the thing being moved).

  • Nominative (subject): der Stuhl – The chair is here. → Der Stuhl ist hier.
  • Accusative (direct object): den Stuhl – I move the chair. → Ich bewege den Stuhl.

In Ich ziehe den Stuhl an den Tisch, I is the subject, the chair is what is being pulled → it must be accusative: den Stuhl.

Why is it an den Tisch and not an dem Tisch?

Because an is a two-way preposition (Wechselpräposition), and here it describes movement towards a place, so it takes the accusative.

  • Movement to a place → accusative

    • Ich ziehe den Stuhl an den Tisch.
      (I pull the chair to the table.)

  • Location at a place → dative

    • Der Stuhl steht an dem Tisch → usually contracted to am Tisch.
      (The chair is at the table.)

So:

  • an den Tisch = to the table (towards it)
  • am Tisch (an dem Tisch) = at/by the table (already there)
Are den Stuhl and den Tisch both accusative? Is that allowed?

Yes. You can have:

  • a direct object in the accusative: den Stuhl
  • plus a prepositional object/phrase (an den Tisch) where the preposition an happens to require the accusative because of movement.

Grammatically:

  • den Stuhl – direct object of ziehen
  • an den Tisch – prepositional phrase of direction (with accusative after an)

German allows this combination without any problem.

What is the difference between an den Tisch and auf den Tisch?

Both can translate as to the table, but they focus on different spatial relations:

  • an den Tisch

    • Literally: to the table / up to the side of the table
    • The chair ends up next to or up against the table.
    • Usual choice for moving a chair into “eating position.”

  • auf den Tisch

    • Literally: onto the table
    • The object ends up on top of the table’s surface.
    • You might say: Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch. (I put the book on the table.)

For a chair in normal use, you want an den Tisch, not auf den Tisch.

Can I say Ich schiebe den Stuhl an den Tisch instead? What is the difference between ziehen and schieben?

Yes, Ich schiebe den Stuhl an den Tisch is completely natural and probably more common in everyday speech.

  • ziehen = to pull

    • You move something towards you or by pulling a part of it.
    • In context, the sentence is fine, but it slightly highlights the pulling action.

  • schieben = to push

    • You move something away from you or by pushing it from behind/side.
    • For chairs and furniture, schieben is often the default verb.

So both sentences are correct; they just describe pulling vs pushing.

What does ziehen generally mean, and where else is it used?

ziehen basically means “to pull”, but it has many extended uses:

  • physically pull:
    • Ich ziehe den Wagen. – I pull the cart.
  • move (house):
    • Ich ziehe nach Berlin. – I’m moving to Berlin.
  • draw (a card, a line, a weapon):
    • Ich ziehe eine Karte. – I draw a card.
  • reflexive with a prefix (clothes):
    • Ich ziehe mich an. – I get dressed.
    • Ich ziehe mir eine Jacke an. – I put on a jacket.

In Ich ziehe den Stuhl an den Tisch, it’s the basic, literal “pull” meaning.

How would I say “The chair is at the table” instead of “I pull the chair to the table”?

You switch from movement (accusative) to location (dative):

  • Movement:

    • Ich ziehe den Stuhl an den Tisch. (to the table)

  • Location:

    • Der Stuhl steht an dem Tisch.
    • In normal German this is almost always contracted:
      Der Stuhl steht am Tisch. (The chair is at/by the table.)

So:

  • an den Tisch = moving the chair there
  • am Tisch = the chair is already there
Can I also say Ich ziehe den Stuhl zum Tisch? Does it mean the same thing?

You can say it, and it’s understandable and correct, but there is a nuance:

  • an den Tisch

    • Very concrete: right up to the edge / side of the table.
    • This is the standard phrasing for moving a chair into place at a table.

  • zum Tisch (zu dem Tisch)

    • More general: towards the table, not necessarily right against it.
    • Often used with going/walking rather than placing furniture:
      • Ich gehe zum Tisch. – I go to the table.

For pulling a chair into sitting position, an den Tisch sounds more precise and idiomatic.

Where else can I put an den Tisch in the sentence? Is the word order fixed?

The core rule in a simple main clause is: the finite verb is in second position. Within that, you have some flexibility.

Most natural is:

  • Ich ziehe den Stuhl an den Tisch.

Other possibilities (all grammatically correct, but some less neutral):

  • Ich ziehe an den Tisch den Stuhl.
    – Correct but marked; sounds like you’re stressing den Stuhl, maybe contrasting it with something else.

  • Den Stuhl ziehe ich an den Tisch.
    – Emphasis on den Stuhl (“It’s the chair that I’m pulling to the table”).

  • An den Tisch ziehe ich den Stuhl.
    – Emphasis on an den Tisch (“It’s to the table that I’m pulling the chair”).

Neutral, everyday choice: Ich ziehe den Stuhl an den Tisch.

How do I pronounce ziehe, and what does the ie mean in German spelling?
  • ziehe is pronounced roughly like: [ˈtsiː-ə]
    • z = /ts/ (like ts in cats)
    • ie = long “ee” sound
    • final -e = a short, unstressed “uh” sound

So it’s like: TSEE-uh (in two quick syllables).

In general, in German:

  • ie usually marks a long “ee” sound:
    • sie, wie, wieder, ziehen, ziehen → all with long /iː/.
How is ziehen conjugated in the present tense?

Present tense (Präsens) of ziehen:

  • ich ziehe – I pull
  • du ziehst – you pull (singular, informal)
  • er/sie/es zieht – he/she/it pulls
  • wir ziehen – we pull
  • ihr zieht – you (plural, informal) pull
  • sie/Sie ziehen – they / you (formal) pull

In the sentence Ich ziehe den Stuhl an den Tisch, ich is the subject, so you use ziehe.

Is ziehen related to the separable verb anziehen? Why don’t we say Ich ziehe den Stuhl an?

Yes, anziehen is built from ziehen, but it has its own meanings:

  • jemanden / sich anziehen – to dress (someone) / to get dressed
    • Ich ziehe mich an. – I get dressed.
    • Ich ziehe das Kind an. – I dress the child.

Ich ziehe den Stuhl an would normally be understood as
“I put clothes on the chair” (dress the chair), because den Stuhl would be the object of anziehen in its “dress” meaning.

In Ich ziehe den Stuhl an den Tisch, an is not a prefix; it’s a separate preposition starting the phrase an den Tisch, indicating direction. The verb is just plain ziehen (to pull), so the structure is:

  • ziehen (verb)
  • den Stuhl (direct object)
  • an den Tisch (prepositional phrase of direction)