Translation guide
The act of drawing something toward oneself or in a particular direction. In Japanese, the most common equivalent is 引く (hiku), but the appropriate word depends on what is being pulled and how.
To pull something in a general sense, such as a rope, handle, or object, toward oneself.
The most common and versatile verb for pulling. Used for pulling objects, drawing lines, attracting attention, etc.
ロープを引いてください。
Please pull the rope.
Pull the door open.
Emphasizes a stronger or more sustained pulling action. Often used for tugging or dragging.
He pulled my sleeve.
To pull something behind you, such as a cart, trailer, or sled.
To remove something from a place by pulling, such as a tooth, a plug, or a drawer.
To drag something behind you, often with effort.
To drag or trail something along the ground. Can also be used figuratively for prolonging something.
I walked dragging a heavy suitcase.
To pull a trigger, lever, or similar mechanism.
To attract someone romantically or socially; to 'pull' someone.
There is no direct equivalent for 'pulling' in the sense of attracting a partner. Use モテる (to be popular/attractive) or ナンパする (to hit on/pick up).
He pulls a lot. (He is popular with women.)
He pulled a girl at the club.
引く (hiku) is the general verb for pulling. 引っ張る (hipparu) implies a stronger, more forceful pull, often with a sense of tugging. 引きずる (hikizuru) means to drag something along the ground or to prolong something.
Pull the door vs yank the door vs drag the luggage
While 引く can mean 'pull', for extracting objects like teeth or plugs, use 抜く (nuku). Using 引く in these contexts would be unnatural.
Pull a tooth
引き出しを引き出す。
Pull out the drawer.