• Random Dent@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    And reusing the same word to mean a plethora of completely unrelated things lol.

    EG:

    Jam = a fruit preserve, to play music, stopped traffic, a door that’s held open, to cram something into something else

    Set = a collection of something, to change an option on a device, when something gelatinous becomes more solid, when the sun goes down, a stage or movie background, a list of songs at a concert, to put something down, and about 50 other things

    Run = to move quickly, to enter a contest (ie run for President), to have something turned on (is that computer running, running a tap), to be a certain length (this films run time is 90 minutes), to be behind (this bus is running late), to be in charge of something (I’m running this place), a hand in poker, to be liquid (this egg is runny), a tear in a pair of tights

      • RQG@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Umziehen - to change clothes, to move to a new home

        aufziehen - to tease or ridicule someone, to wind up a clockwork, to raise kids

        abziehen - to leave, to scam someone, to pull something off something else

        herziehen - to gossip about someone

        Anziehen - to attract something, to put on clothes

        Yeah there are some of these for ziehen. You might be on to something. But for many generic verbs there are many variants with vastly different meanings. Like Machen - to make, or tun - to do, gehen - to go.