aufstehen
Ich stehe jeden Morgen um 7 Uhr auf.
I get up every morning at 7 o'clock.
to stand up from a sitting or lying position
Er steht schnell auf, als er den Lehrer sieht.
He stands up quickly when he sees the teacher.
Commonly used for physical movement from seated/lying to standing.
to get out of bed after sleeping
Ich muss morgen früh aufstehen.
I have to get up early tomorrow.
Often used with time references (e.g., 'um 6 Uhr aufstehen').
to rise (e.g., from a chair, bench)
Sie stand vom Tisch auf, um zu gehen.
She stood up from the table to leave.
Can imply leaving a location or social setting.
Collocations
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Separable verb tip
Remember that 'aufstehen' is separable: in the present tense, it becomes 'steht auf' (e.g., 'Er steht auf'). In the past tense, it's 'aufgestanden' (e.g., 'Ich bin aufgestanden').
Gold Rule
Context matters
Use 'aufstehen' for physical movement (standing up) or getting out of bed. For figurative meanings (e.g., 'standing up for something'), use 'sich erheben' or 'eintreten für'.
Word Origin
From Middle High German 'ūfstān', from Old High German 'ūfstantan' (to stand up), composed of 'auf' (up) + 'stehen' (to stand). Related to English 'stand up'.
Usage Notes
A separable verb (aufstehen → steht auf in present tense). Often used reflexively ('sich aufstehen' is incorrect; 'aufstehen' alone suffices). Common in daily routines and polite requests.