auf-

auf in compounds.

• IPA^(key): [ʔaʊ̯f]

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

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auf-

1. A separable verb prefix; similar to English up-; indicating:
   1. upwards movement

      ‎auf- + ‎nehmen (“to take, hold”) → ‎aufnehmen (“to pick up”)

      ‎auf- + ‎stehen (“to stand, be upright”) → ‎aufstehen (“to get up, stand up”)

      ‎auf- + ‎wachsen (“to grow”) → ‎aufwachsen (“to grow up”)

   2. change to a different, better state (chiefly with adjectives or verbs from adjectives)

      ‎auf- + ‎besser (“better”) + ‎-en → ‎aufbessern (“to improve, supplement”)

      ‎auf- + ‎hübsch (“pretty”) + ‎-en → ‎aufhübschen (“to embellish, pretty up”)

   3. amassing

      ‎auf- + ‎häufen (“to pile (up)”) → ‎aufhäufen (“to form a pile or stack”)

      ‎auf- + ‎addieren (“to add”) → ‎aufaddieren (“to add up”)

      ‎auf- + ‎stauen (“to dam, accumulate”) → ‎aufstauen (“to form a reservoir, hold back a large amount”)

   4. spontaneous appearance

      ‎auf- + ‎lachen (“to laugh”) → ‎auflachen (“to laugh suddenly, bark out a laugh”)

      ‎auf- + ‎blühen (“to be in bloom”) → ‎aufblühen (“to flourish, blossom”)

   5. (productive) opening

      ‎auf- + ‎decken (“to cover”) → ‎aufdecken (“to uncover, reveal”)

      ‎auf- + ‎machen (“to make, do”) → ‎aufmachen (“to open up”)

      ‎auf- + ‎schließen (“to close, lock”) → ‎aufschließen (“to unlock”)

   6. putting something in contact with a surface (from above)

      ‎auf- + ‎tragen (“to bear, carry”) → ‎auftragen (“to apply”) (e.g. cream or salve)

      ‎auf- + ‎schlagen (“to hit”) → ‎aufschlagen (“to impact”) (e.g. the ground)

   7. finishing

      ‎auf- + ‎essen (“to eat”) → ‎aufessen (“to eat up, eat completely”)

      ‎auf- + ‎brauchen (“to need, consume”) → ‎aufbrauchen (“to use up”)

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