On, onto in German 🇩🇪

auf info.

**Tips to Remember the German Word ‘auf’:**
– Think of the English phrase “Up, up, and away!” which captures the sense of upward movement, similar to the German ‘auf’.
– Visualize opening a lid (‘aufmachen’) which is an action often used with ‘auf’.
– Associate ‘auf’ with turning something on, like a light switch (‘das Licht anschalten’).

**Explanations:**
– ‘Auf’ is a versatile preposition and adverb that can mean ‘on’, ‘onto’, ‘up’, ‘at’, ‘in’, or ‘to’, depending on the context.
– As a preposition, it usually takes the dative case when indicating a static position (e.g., *auf dem Tisch* – ‘on the table’) and the accusative case when indicating directional movement (e.g., *auf den Tisch legen* – ‘to put onto the table’).

**Other Words That Mean the Same Thing:**
– *An*: Can also mean ‘on’ but is typically used for vertical or attached surfaces (e.g., *an der Wand* – ‘on the wall’).
– *In*: Means ‘in’ and is used for enclosed spaces but can sometimes interchange with ‘auf’ depending on the context (e.g., *in die Schachtel* vs. *auf die Schachtel*).

**Alternate Meanings and Slang:**
– *Auf geht’s!*: A colloquial phrase meaning “Let’s go!” or “Off we go!”
– *Aufmachen*: In a casual context, can mean ‘open up’ as in opening a door or starting a business.
– *Aufgepasst*: Used informally to tell someone to pay attention or to watch out.

**Examples of Sentences That Use ‘auf’:**
– Ich sitze auf dem Sofa. (I’m sitting on the sofa.)
– Legen Sie die Bücher auf den Tisch. (Put the books onto the table.)
– Wir treffen uns auf dem Fest. (We are meeting at the festival.)
– Die Katze springt auf das Dach. (The cat jumps onto the roof.)
– Mach bitte das Licht auf! (In slang: Turn on the light, please!)
– Er hat seine Jacke auf dem Stuhl vergessen. (He forgot his jacket on the chair.)

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