auf
See also: auf-
TranslingualEdit
SymbolEdit
auf
EnglishEdit
Alternative formsEdit
EtymologyEdit
Apparently of North Germanic origin, compare Danish alf, Swedish alf, alv, Old Norse alfr (“elf”). Doublet of elf and oaf.
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
auf (plural aufs)
- (obsolete) A changeling or elf child; a child left by fairies.
- (obsolete) A deformed or foolish child; a simpleton; an oaf.
- 1605, Michael Drayton, “Battaile of Agincourt”, in Poems Lyric and Pastoral:
- Say that the Fayrie left this Aulfe,
And tooke away the other.
ReferencesEdit
- “auf”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
AnagramsEdit
GermanEdit
Alternative formsEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Middle High German ūf, from Old High German ūf, from Proto-Germanic *upp. This form with a lengthened vowel is originally Upper German. Central German forms were Middle High German uf and (western) up. Compare Luxembourgish op, Dutch op, English up.
PronunciationEdit
PrepositionEdit
auf
- (with dative) on, upon (positioned at the top of)
- Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. ― The book is lying on the table.
- (with accusative) on, onto, up (moving to the top of)
- Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch. ― I’m putting the book on the table.
- (with accusative) on (indicating responsibility)
- Das erste Getränk geht aufs Haus. ― The first drink is on the house.
- Das fällt nicht auf dich zurück, sondern auf mich. Ich hab's vermasselt.
- That's not on you but on me. I messed up.
- (with dative) in, at; used with certain nouns instead of bei or in
- Niemand auf der Welt hätte das voraussehen können. ― No one in the world could have predicted that.
- auf dem Stadtplatz ― in the town square
- Das Schiff ist auf See ― The ship is at sea.
- auf der Kirmes ― at the fun fair
- auf der Post ― at the post office (also: bei der Post)
- (with accusative) to; used with certain nouns instead of zu or in
- auf die Kirmes ― to the fun fair
- auf die Post ― to the post office (also: zur Post)
- (with a language name) in (see usage note below)
- Was heißt das auf Deutsch? ― What’s this in German?
- (linguistics) in (of a word: ending with some sound or syllable)
- Wörter auf -heit sind weiblich. ― Words in -heit are feminine.
- (archaic or colloquial, regional, northern and western Germany) on (a day; usually of the week)
- Synonym: an
- Du kannst doch auf (’n) Sonntag nich’ den Rasen mähen!
- You can’t mow the lawn on a Sunday!
- (with accusative) for (during the continuation of)
- auf Jahre hinaus ― for years to come
- (with accusative) to, for (indicating purpose, goal or wish)
- Lasst uns auf deine Gesundheit drinken! ― Let's drink to your health!
- Sie spielen auf Zeit. ― They are playing for time.
- (with accusative) by (used to separate dimensions when describing the size of something)
- Synonym: mal
- X auf Y Meter groß ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)
- 2009, Ursula Muscheler, Sternstunden der Architektur: von den Pyramiden bis zum Turmbau von Dubai (Beck'sche Reihe)[1], C.H.Beck, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 19:
- Im Inneren befindet sich eine 4 auf 6 Meter große und 5 Meter hohe Grabkamme . Vor der Pyramide standen vier Säulen , die vermutlich Bronzestatuen des Cestius trugen.
- (please add an English translation of this quote)
Usage notesEdit
- Auf is a Wechselpräposition, meaning that it is used with accusative case when the verb shows movement from one place to another, whereas it is used with dative case when the verb shows location. In idiomatic combinations with verbs the correct case is not always predictable and must be memorised.
- Generally speaking, auf is used when referring to something being on a horizontal surface, as opposed to an, which usually points to a vertical surface.
- Auf is used with language names not preceded by any determiners or adjectives; otherwise in is used. Thus you say something auf Englisch (“in English”), but in gutem Englisch (“in good English”). The phrase auf gutem Englisch may not be entirely ungrammatical, but it is doubtful and at most informally acceptable.
Derived termsEdit
AdverbEdit
auf
- (somewhat informal) open
- Synonym: offen
- Antonyms: zu, geschlossen
- Die Tür ist auf. ― The door is open.
- (colloquial) finished; gone (food)
- Synonym: alle
- Hast du deine Suppe auf? ― Have you finished your soup?
- Die Milch is’ auf. ― The milk is gone. (consumed)
- (colloquial) up; awake; out of bed
- Synonyms: aufgestanden, wach
- Ich war um sechs Uhr auf. ― I was up at six o'clock.
Usage notesEdit
- Compare to the latter example the phrase: Die Milch ist aus, which would mean that all the milk has been sold out, e.g. from a supermarket.
SynonymsEdit
InterjectionEdit
auf
Further readingEdit
- “auf” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
- Friedrich Kluge (1883), “auf”, in , John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891