aufpassen

German

Etymology

auf- +‎ passen, a calque of Dutch oppassen. The sense “to be attentive” is not borrowed from French (as is the verb stem passen) but a native development of Dutch.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈaʊ̯fpasən], [ˈaʊ̯fpasn̩]

• Audio (Austria):

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• Audio:

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Verb

1. to watch out
2. to look after something

   Könntest du kurz auf meinen Hund aufpassen?

   Could you look after my dog for a moment?

3. to be attentive (with something)

   Er soll mit seinem Geld aufpassen

   He should be careful with his money.

Further reading

• “aufpassen” in Duden online