aufwachen
[ˈʔaʊfˌvaxən]
To wake up in German is aufwachen. Wiktionary also lists erwachen and wach werden.
Meaning: to (become) awake (verb)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| aufwachen | [ˈʔaʊfˌvaxən] (narrow) |
| erwachen | /ɛɐ̯ˈvaxn̩/ |
| wach werden | /vax ˈveːʁdən/ (word by word) |
The verb aufwachen is used to describe the physiological process of waking up, whereas wecken means to wake someone else up.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase wach werden uses the adjective wach (awake) and the verb werden (to become).
Which one should you use?
erwachen is more poetic or formal than aufwachen and is often used in literary contexts to describe a person or a feeling awakening.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of aufwachen is aufgewacht. When using aufwachen in the perfect tense, it uses the auxiliary verb sein (ist) rather than haben.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use aufwachen when they mean to wake someone else up. In that case, they should use wecken.
Did you know?
- The German verb werden is a cognate of the Latin verb vertō, which means 'to turn'.
Examples in context
- Ihr müsst wach werden.You need to wake up.This sentence demonstrates the use of wach werden to express necessity.Tatoeba #2513827 by Zaghawa, translation #2195127 by Hybrid
- Tom, du musst aufwachen.Tom, you've got to wake up.This sentence shows a personal way to use aufwachen to tell someone they must wake up.Tatoeba #7060117 by quicksanddiver, translation #2543932 by CK
- Es ist an der Zeit! Aufwachen!It's that time again! Wake up.This sentence provides a short, imperative use of aufwachen.Tatoeba #1848493 by Tamy, translation #33121 by orcrist
- Wachen Sie bitte auf, es ist Zeit zur Arbeit zu gehen.Please wake up, it's time to go to work.
- Wach auf, die Sonne scheint!Wake up, the sun is shining!
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maximilian and Julia are in their bedroom on a Saturday morning.
- MaximilianJulia, bitte wach endlich auf!Julia, please wake up already!
- JuliaIch will noch nicht aufwachen.I don't want to wake up yet.
- MaximilianDu bist schon spät dran.You are already running late.
- JuliaOkay, ich bin jetzt wach.Okay, I am awake now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wake up” translations and entries aufwachen, erwachen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (wach, werden) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aufwachen, erwachen, wach, werden, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
