umziehen

This is a separable verb, which can be tricky. In a normal sentence, the um flies to the very end. You say Ich ziehe morgen um (I am moving tomorrow). If you are talking about clothes, you MUST use the reflexive sich. So, Ich ziehe mich um means 'I am changing my clothes.' Without the mich, people might think you are moving to a new house right now!

Use it when you finally find that dream apartment in Berlin. Use it when you get home from work and want to put on your cozy sweatpants. It’s perfect for texting a friend to say you'll be late because you're still getting dressed. You’ll also hear it in professional settings if a company is relocating its office.

Don’t use umziehen if you are just moving a body part. If you move your arm, use bewegen. If you want to move a chair to the other side of the room, use rücken or stellen. Umziehen is for a total change of location or attire, not just a small shift in position. Also, don't use it for moving a deadline; that's verschieben.

Moving in Germany is a massive deal. Unlike some countries, German apartments often come 'naked.' This means no kitchen cabinets, no stove, and sometimes no lightbulbs! When you umziehen, you are literally pulling your entire kitchen with you. It’s a rite of passage to ask friends to help in exchange for pizza and beer. This makes the word feel like a shared social struggle.

The noun form is der Umzug. You’ll see this on signs for moving trucks. There is also ausziehen (to move out) and einziehen (to move in). If you want to say someone is moving 'into' a specific place, you use in plus the accusative case. For example: Ich ziehe in eine WG um.