aufhören
Meaning and Usage
Aufhören means "to stop" or "to cease" in English. It is commonly used to indicate the ending of an action or process.
Linguistic Analysis
The word aufhören is a compound verb, consisting of the prefix "auf-" and the verb "hören" (to hear/listen). The prefix "auf-" often indicates a sense of direction or completion in German. The verb aufhören is separable, so in sentence constructions, the prefix may be separated from the main verb, for example, "Ich höre mit dem Singen auf" (I stop singing).
Comparisons between German and English
The English word "stop" is a close equivalent to aufhören, both in meaning and usage as a verb.
Cultural Context
In German-speaking cultures, the concept of aufhören is related to punctuality and discipline. It is commonly used in everyday language to denote the cessation of any activity.
Example Sentences
- Ich höre auf, Deutsch zu lernen. (I am stopping learning German.)
- Kannst du bitte aufhören, so laut zu sprechen? (Can you please stop speaking so loudly?)
Memory Tips
To remember aufhören, think of the prefix "auf-" indicating a sense of completion or direction, and "hören" meaning "to hear" or "to listen", so aufhören is like "hearing to completion" or "listening to the end".
Additional Vocabulary
- Stoppen (to stop)
- Beenden (to finish)
- Aufgeben (to give up)
Gender and Plural (for nouns)
The word aufhören is a verb and does not have a gender or a plural form.
Conjugation (for verbs)
- Ich höre auf (I stop)
- Du hörst auf (You stop)
- Er/sie/es hört auf (He/she/it stops)
- Wir hören auf (We stop)
- Ihr hört auf (You stop)
- Sie hören auf (They stop)