Hello everyone,
and welcome to a couple truths: German has a plenty of prefix verbs that need explaining and summer is coming. Shabamm.
Time for a series that tackles both, and this series is about to start because you’re at the beginning of the very first episode of
Prefix Verbs Explained
In each episode (and there will be a LOT), we’ll take one prefix verb and look at what it means and WHY it means that and see how to use it properly.
And today, we’ll start with a look at the meaning of
aufmachen
And one rather general warning right away… prefix verbs usually DON’T translate to what they look like.
Or in case of aufmachen…
Aufmachen does NOT mean to make up.
Make up one’s mind, make up an example, make up for something … if you were to use aufmachen for these it wouldn’t even be understood.
So what does it mean?
Well, we have auf and machen….
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“Ich mach mich auf” should not be “ich mache mich auf”?
In colloquial German, it’s pretty much standard to skip the “e” for the ich-form. There is officially no need to indicate the skipping with an apostrophe :).
Hi Emanuel, why it says in some news that “Die Schulen öffnen wieder für alle Kinder”, instead of “Die Schulen öffnen sich / werden geöffnet”?
Counter question… why not? Why do you think it should be either of your versions?
Because according to what I saw in the dictionary, öffnen can only with Akk.? like: “etw. öffnen”. So Schulen should be the Akk., right?
The dictionary is incomplete there.
“die Schulen” is the subject here and there is no direct object.
It only works in context of a venue opening to receive someone, but yeah… the dictionary needs tweeking :)
Because according to what I saw in the dictionary, öffnen can only with Akk.? like: “etw. öffnen”. So Schulen should be the Akk., right?
Just replied to the other comments :)
Thanks a lot for the great and patient explanations! I hope I’m not bothering you with so many Fragen every week … But I really want to let you know how big the progress I’ve been made in German!!!!
That’s great to hear, and you’re not bothering at all. In the end, the answer is also for all the people who come to the comments and might have the same question, so you’re helping everyone by asking things.
I thought it meant “to open” because “aufmachen” is a bit like “to turn on”, so you “turn the door on” as if it was an electric device. Then you “turn if off” (zumachen).
Well, it works for you, so it’s great :). But “anmachen” is definitely closer to “to turn on”
What about “machen auf…”? In the Nena song “Beruftsjugendlich” she sings “macht auf Hip”. How wouldnwe explain this?
That’s a slang phrase for “pretending to be” or “acting like”.
Like putting some MAKE-UP to look different ?
Not really. “machen auf” is about your behavior. Think about someone who just made a little money on Robinhood and is now acting like a big shot in the club. Or someone who has read one book on personal development and is now acting like they are Buddha.
I am reading this blog ending in 2020 and it is blowing my mind! Yes, 2020 is “strange” for sure!!! Wir alle hoffen dass der Coronavirus macht sich gleich den Weg auf.
Haha, ja stimmt, hoffentlich geht es bald weg.
Wenn das Virus an deinen Mund klopft… nicht aufmachen :).
“I have a hunch though that 2020 will be… strange.” Is your true name Nostradamus?
Haha…more like “Nostr-edit-mus” ;)
Man, you are amazing, the way you slide your jokes and puns in there just makes it so much more easy and bearable xD
It’s totally worth the money I spent, it feels like having class with the cool funny teacher at school that makes you look forward to the subject you hate the most instead of dreading the ours you have to spend listening to the worst and most boring teacher ever.
I no longer wonder “why did I do this to myself” so often ahah
Thank you so much!!!
Aww, thanks :)! Vielen Dank für das tolle Feedback!!
Das beispiel mit raufmachen ich würde gerne wissen ob es mit anderen prefix auch so funktioniert .Z.B runtermachen reinmachen rausmachen…..etc.würde ‘Salz in die Suppe reinmachen’funktionieren?
Ich bin vorsichtig und will nicht “immer” sagen, aber definitiv “oft”.
Wenn du mehr Artikel dieser Serie liest, wirst du sehen, dass diese r-Version sehr oft so funktioniert. Ich mache demnächst eine Übung dazu :)
Vielenk Danke,ich freue mich auf deine Übung :).
Übeigens,mich würde interessieren,wie manˋ put salt into soup ´sagt Salz in die Suppe reinmachen/reintun/reinlegen? Welches passt am besten?
Ich würde sagen “Ich mache Salz in/an die Suppe” oder “ich mache noch Salz ran/rein”.
Aber ich würde nicht doppeln, also “in die X reinmachen” sagen. Das klingt ein bisschen naiv.
“Legen” und “tun” auf KEINEN FALL!!! “tun” geht vielleicht noch, aber Salz kannst du nicht legen. Nur die Salzpackung.
A great article on prefix verbs again! I’m so glad that you cover them because at my current level of German they are the most frequent cause of me losing the thread of a conversation. One tip about English colloquial stuff… I would understand the phrase “my foot hurts like shit” but i would never use it and it would actually offend some (admittedly stuffy) people. Shit is one of the more strong-profanity words in America, I think it’s only medium curse-level in Germany and France. In America its one of the seven words banned from live radio broadcasts. Anyway if you want to be all cool and swear-y, and sound more native, the phrase is “my foot hurts like hell.” ;)
Oh boy… English and it’s curse words :). Thanks for the heads up.
Regarding ‘sich auf dem Weg machen’:
It is perfectly acceptable English to say that ‘I am making my way towards home’
Also since Roman times the ‘High Road’ has been raised above the surrounding landscape so that it drains properly and so that when you are up on the High Road you can be safer because you can see danger coming.
There is also an expression: to take the high road, meaning that you put yourself above everyone else by your attitude or actions.
I hope this helps.
David
Hi David: Your explanation of the expression, “to take the high road” is a little confusing, or at least incomplete. It sounds like you’re saying that it is something a bit selfish, when that is never the case. “To take the high road” means you are given a set of options, and you do not necessarily do what is in your own best interests, but rather, what is the “right” or more “civilized” thing to do. For example, if somebody insults you, and you are more than able to insult that person right back, instead, you “take the high road” and say nothing. This might not be as satisfying, but it is the better, or more admirable thing to do. This doesn’t imply that you have “put yourself above everyone else,” but rather, you chose the morally clearer path when you had other options you could have chosen.
This is excellent.
Thanks! Sehr hilfreich!
Hallo,
Eine kurze Frage:
Is the sich aufmachen still used like a separable prefix verb as usual? So:
•Ich glaub’, ich mach mich mal auf ins Fitnessstudio.
Why wouldn’t “auf” go after “Fitnessstudio” at the end of the sentence?
And, the same here:
•Berlin macht sich auf in die Zukunft.
Why not, “Berlin macht sich in die Zukunft auf.”
I love these short lessons; it helps me retain the information better!
Vielen Dank im Voraus!
Hah… I was totally expecting that question. To me “Ich mach mich ins Fitnessstudio auf” sounds a bit odd, actually.
It might have something to do with the fact that the “longer” version is still kind of alive there
– Ich mach mich auf den Weg ins Fitnessstudio.
Here, “ins Fitnessstudio” is part of “Weg”… it defines “Weg” closer so it comes after it. Cutting out “den Weg” we’re left with a lonely “auf” that gets pulled toward the verb by “prefix gravity” :).
Ultimately both versions are correct …
– Berlin macht sich auf in die Zukunft. (more idiomatic in my opinion)
– Berlin macht sich in die Zukunft auf.
Now, this is also an example for something you’ll see a LOT when you come in contact with non-textbook German.
The paradigm that the separable prefix (or the ge-form) always goes to the end is … (get ready to have you’re believes crushed)….. not set in stone.
It’s a bit like a fashion… at least to some extent. And at the moment there is a strong trend to put certain things after the prefix (or the supposed final element in general), mostly stuff that is connected via preposition. It is REALLY hard to explain what works and what doesn’t though. You need a ton of Sprachgefühl for it.
This trend is especially strong in the media… press, tv, politics… you can find millions of examples there, and of course that seeps over into every day German.
Hope that helps a bit.
Ich fand diese Betrachtungen einigermaßen erleuchtend:
Fehlt hier ein Link??
Also, ich weiß nicht, was passiert ist, aber versuch mal draufzuklicken.
Ah, alles klar… das Bild wurde in meinem Comment Feed nicht angezeigt (und auch nicht, dass da überhaupt was ist)
Und was hältst du von der Erläuterung? :)
Im Bezug auf “be-” allgemein? Hmm… geht so. Zuviel Fokus auf die Grammatik, meiner Meinung nach. Es klammert die Effekte von “be-” auf Adjketive und Nomen komplett aus. Und auch die Beschreibung als “energischer” sehe ich kritisch. Zumindest für Lerner, die noch nicht so viel Sprachgefühl haben, kann das irreführend sein, denn die “be-“-Version klingt auch oft etwas technisch. “Er trat in den Raum ” klingt für meine Ohren literarischer als “Er betrat den Raum”. Das ist sehr trocken und faktisch. Aber nicht unbedingt super -energisch.
“Is it okay to lay down on here? (not idiomatic English… just to illustrate the point)”
It’s idiomatic enough, in the example. However, the verb would be “lie” not “lay” (i.e. to lie down on the mattress)… And not to worry, 50% of native English speakers mix this one up also from time to time, i.e. use “to lay down” instead of “to lie down.” “Lay” is the simple past tense of “lie”. “May I lie on the bed?” “Yesterday, as I lay on the bed, I began to dream…” To lay (present tense) is to place or to put something, somewhere. Simple past of “lay” is “laid.”
Quite right. And lay is what a chicken does with an egg… which is putting it somewhere..
Damn, true. I thought I had these figured out but then the German “liegen” vs. “legen” messed up everything again in my head :)
What makes it even more fun is that in older English there used to be a reflexive “lay” that’s since been replaced by “lie” – you see it in the old bedtime prayer, “Now I lay me down to sleep…”
That prayer phrase had occurred to me too, but I didn’t know how to reconcile it. I think the explanation that the reflexive use of “to lay oneself” is “old” captures it perfectly.
OK, y’all’ve asked for it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8Y-JjWE3Rw
That. Was. Hilarious! :)
Hahaha… is that for real?? Like.. in the game???
Yes.
Ich habe eine Transkription gemacht, entspricht sie dem Gesagten?
– Also, ich legte im Bett neben dem Mädchen und…
– Lag.
– Was?
– Du hast im Bett gelegen, nicht gelegt.
– Legen, liegen – wo ist der Unterschied?
– Du legst Eier. Du liegst im Bett. Ich nehme an, du bist kein Vogel oder?
– Jetzt willst du die Geschichte hören oder nicht?`
– Die Sprache richtig zu können ist wichtig.
– Warum magst du ständig auf jedermanns Grammatik kommen?
– Weil ich an die Erhaltung der Reinheit unserer wunderschönen Sprache glaube. Damit wir nicht der Barbarei verfallen.
– Na, dann erzähl ich die Geschichte eben nicht.
– Ich sag dir nur, wenn wir…
– Ach, halt die Klappe.
Ja fast… 2 Sachen:
– Warum hackst du ständig auf jedermanns Grammatik rum. (rumhacken… colloquial, kennst du bestimmt)
– ich sag(te) doch nur, wenn wir…
Danke, genau die 2 Stellen wo ich Bedenken hatte.
sagte er nicht, diesem Mädchen???
I had to listen very closely before I heard it. You’re totally right!! And now that I know it, it’s obvious to my ears … nice example how the brain messes with our perception :).
Quiet informative as always. It’s nice to read non textbook like writing. Sometimes your blog gets too long to keep reading, but the information keeps me going. Does help me a lot with my German language education. Cheers and keep it going…
Yeah, they are a bit long sometimes :)… I had this pediod where I felt compelled to really add every last bit that I could say about a topic. I’m working on making them shorter and more digestible though. Danke für das schöne Feedback
Great series idea!
Just a little quibble:
– I’ll go head out to the gym, I think.
“Go” sounds pretty redundant here. Of course, you could use “going to” future: “I’m gonna head out to the gym.” There’s also “get going,” which emphasizes the departure (like “head out”). You can use “head” by itself as a verb too (same meaning), and pair it with other prepositions:
– After lunch we headed over to the Brandenburg Gate.
– I think I’ll head up to the conference room a few minutes early to get ready for the presentation.
Oh, also, at least for Americans, this is pepperoni, not this.
A “salamie”?! Haha.. I wonder how many vegetarian Europeans get not quite what the pizza they expected over in the States :D.
As for the corrections. One question came to mind about the “going to”-future (since there has been a discussion just recently). Would it even be idiomatic to say the same sentence not with the gonna-future but the real going to.
– I’m going to head out to the gym.
Do people really say that when they really are about to leave (as opposed to talking plans for the next day)
Also, your last example (with the conference room) made me realize that “sich aufmachen” does imply kind of a travel. At least a short one. I wouldn’t use it when I’m just about to take the elevator (which I’m entitled to because I already was on the stair master in the gym earlier)
And a lot of carnivorous Americans get very confused when their Peperoni pizza shows up here… :)
Absolutely, pronouncing “going to” is perfectly fine and idiomatic as far as it goes, but I think in spoken English it would sound like either (a) you think “gonna” sounds uneducated or something or (b) you want to emphasize “going to” for some reason (e.g. “I really am going to head out to the gym, but I can’t until I finish writing this blog comment”). To me it’s just like a lot of short little English words that almost disappear when they’re not being emphasized (especially by us Amis, sorry):
– I’m going to run to the store for some milk. Can I get you anything?
=> I’m ‘n’a run t’the store f’s’m milk. C’n I getcha anything?
To me, the “going to” future is really pretty universal. Without context, your example sounds very immediate to me: heading out to the gym is what I intend to do right now. Some of that is the verb itself: “head out” really sounds like “leave from here” (or if you’re using it to narrate something from the past, “leave from where one was at the time”), but “going to” future can absolutely mean immediate or very near future.
– I’m heading out to the gym.
…sounds like you’re on your way out and explaining where you’re going.
– I’m going to/gonna head out to the gym.
…sounds a little more like you’re announcing a decision, or that it’s time for something that you’re not already starting to do.
Oddly, I think present tenses tend to feel most like you’re discussing plans farther off in the future.
– I head out in the morning. (sounds like you’re taking a trip)
So sich aufmachen means you have to at least leave the building?
Yeah, I think it does… unless it’s a really really really huge building or place… like… on the Tempelhof airfield you could “aufmachen yourself” to the restoration area. By the way… have you been there? I hope you have… it’s kind of unreal… just a massive field with nothing :D. Also, have you been to the artists’ mini golf??
I feel terribly guilty, but I haven’t yet. No really good excuse, other than that most of the time we’ve been back here it’s been cold/bad weather and/or advanced pregnancy has kept us from being too mobile. I think we’ll be going to a 4th of July cookout there, though, so at the latest we’ll see it then.
Artists’ mini golf? That sounds… very Berlin.
Oh yeah, those advanced pregnancies get in the way of everything :D. If it’s a concluded pregnancy by now then Herzlichen Glückwunsch euch beiden… oder dreien… naja eigentlich dan vieren :)
As for Tempelhof… you just have to have been there or you really missed out on something. Not that there’s much going on, it’s just the scope of it. Don’t go in early summer if you’re allergic to weed pollen though (real weed, not the “recreational” one). It’s weed pollen mayhem there.
The thing with the artists’ mini golf was that it very much felt like I was in the US … some random nerdy business made from old parts in the middle of nowhere, lots and LOTS of open space around it, some occasional small trees here and there, some music playing from a lofi speaker, no one there, a fridge with refreshments … I don’t know but I really got sentimental for a second (for I do love this feel of vastness the States have)
The verb shorts is a fantastic idea. Thank you so much !!
Did raufmachen ever have anything to do with darauf, like maybe at some point in the past it was darauf machen. It sort of makes sense like that to me, so I was wondering if it was ever actually like that.
Totally agree. I also thought it’s based on a da-word at first. Thing is… to me it feels more “her”-ish than “da”-ish… at least in many examples.
– Kann ich das hier (da)rauflegen?
– Can I put that on here?
Da wouldn’t fit because the “hier” already clearly establishes a location. What’s kind of missing is the element of destination. “Hinlegen” would work, “herlegen” would work, and “herauflegen” would work, too, although it sounds very very stiff.
But ultimately you have to think of this as a messy continuum. It’s not always clear and it doesn’t matter.
You could also say
– drauflegen
which has the same meaning and that one clearly is based on a da-word. But for a verb like “reingehen” for instance you cannot say “dreingehen”
– Ich will nicht da reingehen.
– I don’t want to go in there.
Here, a second “da” would sound wrong and the “r” clearly come from “her”.
Finally, for the prefixes that don’t start with a vowel the r-version is a “her”-version.
For “vorkommen” it is “hervorkommen”, not “davorkommen”. And then there’s also stuff like “hinaufgehen/heraufgehen” but not “daraufgehen”.
So… da would make sense and often you can the dr-version which expresses roughly the same is clearly based on a da-word but the “r” really has much more in common (function-wise and feel-wise) with “her” and “hin”.
Hope that helps a bit :)
It does help, thanks.
“Did raufmachen ever have anything to do with darauf”
No, all r-words are based on her.
Just wondering… do you have a “sciency” source for that? (because I don’t but you sometimes do for such stuff :)
Dunno, it was like in most serious books on German that I have read. Plus it’s the only explanation that makes sense, Occam’s razor and all that. R-words correspond to her/hin words, not to da-words. An abbreviation for darauf is drauf, ‘d’ is unlikely to go anywhere, whereas the much more “slight” ‘he’ easily will as ‘e’ vanishes in fast colloquial speech. So deriving those from d words introduces an unnecessary and improbable step.
https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/rein_hinein_herein
https://canoo.net/spelling/rein:Adv
I agree. Let’s also remember that the only reason for “r” in “darauf” is the “a” after “r”. It would be awkward to say “daauf”. But many “da” word do not need “r”: davon, etc.
Exactly.
Wäre es auch richtig, wenn man in deinem Beispiel anstatt rauflegen drauflegen verwendet? Wenn nicht, was wäre der Unterschied zwischen den beiden Verben? Kann man auflegen in dem Zusammenhang überhaupt nicht verwenden? Ich bin mir ziemlich sicher, dass zB. “Darf ich mich auf der Matratze legen” richtig ist, aber “auf der Matratze auflegen” hört sich irgendwie komisch an, wahrscheinlich wegen zweimal ‘auf’.
Übrigens ein toller Eintrag!
Ja, “drauflegen” geht auch und heißt das gleiche. Ist aber auch extrem umgangssprachlich. Das mit dem zweimal “auf” ist kein Problem.
– Kann ich mich auf die Matratze legen?
An sich ist das richtig und transportiert die gleiche Information, aber für mich klingt es ein bisschen technisch, trocken weil das “legen” nicht direkt spezifiziert ist.
– Kann ich mich auf die Matratze rauflegen?
Das fühlt sich besser an, auch wenn es nicht grade hohe Literatur ist. Mit “drauf” wäre es mir ein bisschen viel des guten, aber Leute sagen das durchaus.
Just brilliant. Donât know where you get your energy. Keep it up. These are excellent.
Cheers
Brian
Tel: 07798 934920
http://www.scottishjerky.com
Beef Jerky from Scotch Beef
Venison Jerky from ‘WILD’ deer
Tasty Toasts from Rye flour
Thanks for the feedback! But wait… do you really want your cell on here?! And what’s up with the jerky? Looks a bit like spam. That would be kind of jerk-y indeed. Don’t get me wrong… I don’t mind as long as I know you’re a real human who really read the piece ;)
How can you not trust a jerky man? Especially one who get’s it from ‘WILD’ deer.
You’re right. Shame on me :D