auf

See also: auf-

Translingual

Symbol

auf

1. (international standards) ISO 639-5 language code for Arawan languages.

English

Alternative forms

• awf, oaf, ouph, ouphe, oph

Etymology

Apparently of North Germanic origin, compare Danish alf, Swedish alf, alv, Old Norse alfr (“elf”). Doublet of alf, elf, and oaf.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔːf/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔːf

Noun

auf (plural aufs)

1. (obsolete) A changeling or elf child; a child left by fairies.
2. (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.

References

• “auf”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• AFU, UAF, UFA, Ufa

German

Alternative forms

• auff (obsolete)
• uf, uff (obsolete or dialectal)

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aʊ̯f/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aʊ̯f

Preposition

auf [with dative (indicating location) or accusative (indicating movement)]

1. [with dative] on, upon (positioned at the top of)

   Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. ― The book is lying on the table.

2. [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.

3. [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.

4. [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)

5. [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)

6. (with a language name) in (see usage note below)

   Was heißt das auf Deutsch? ― What’s this in German?

7. (linguistics) in (of a word: ending with some sound or syllable)

   Wörter auf -heit sind weiblich. ― Words in -heit are feminine.

8. (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!

9. [with accusative] for (during the continuation of)

   auf Jahre hinaus ― for years to come

10. [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.

11. [with accusative] by (used to separate dimensions when describing the size of something)

    Synonym: mal

    X auf Y Meter groß ― X by Y meters large

    • 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 quotation)

Usage notes

• 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 terms

• (auf + das) aufs (standard)
• (auf + dem) aufm (colloquial only)

Adjective

auf (indeclinable, predicative only)

1. (somewhat informal) open

   Synonym: offen

   Antonyms: zu, geschlossen

   Die Tür ist auf. ― The door is open.

Declension

Indeclinable, predicative-only.

Adverb

auf

1. (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)

2. (colloquial) up; awake; out of bed

   Synonyms: aufgestanden, wach

   Ich war um sechs Uhr auf. ― I was up at six o'clock.

Usage notes

• 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.

Synonyms

• (open): offen, geöffnet

Interjection

auf

1. carry on (continue or proceed as before)
2. have a go

Further reading

• “auf” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• Friedrich Kluge (1883) “auf”, in John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891