aufladen
to charge
To supply a battery or an electronic device with new electrical energy.
EXAMPLE
Ich muss mein Handy aufladen, der Akku ist fast leer.
I have to charge my phone; the battery is almost dead.
aufladen
to charge / load
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Meanings
aufladen
to load
To load goods, luggage, or a heavy item onto a vehicle or means of transport.
EXAMPLE
Die Möbelpacker laden die Kisten auf den LKW.
The movers are loading the boxes onto the truck.
sich etwas aufladen
to take on
To take on a difficult task, responsibility, or burden.
EXAMPLE
Du solltest dir nicht zu viel Arbeit aufladen, sonst schaffst du das nicht.
You shouldn't take on too much work, otherwise you won't manage it.
aufladen
to charge
To imbue something with a particular meaning, emotion, or atmosphere.
EXAMPLE
Durch die tragische Geschichte ist dieser Ort emotional stark aufgeladen.
Because of its tragic history, this place is highly emotionally charged.
Usage tips
Separable verb
'Aufladen' (to charge/load) is a separable verb whose prefix 'auf-' goes at the end in a main clause. The base verb is 'laden' (to load/charge). The prefix 'auf-' can literally mean 'on top' (furniture) or metaphorically 'into' (energy).
EXAMPLE
Ich lade schnell mein Handy auf.
I'll quickly charge my phone.
Typical collocations
In a technical context, 'aufladen' (to charge) is almost always used with electronic devices or their energy storage units. Typical phrases are: 'das Handy aufladen' (to charge the phone), 'den Akku aufladen' (to charge the battery), or 'eine Prepaid-Karte aufladen' (to top up a prepaid card).
EXAMPLE
Kannst du bitte deinen Laptop aufladen?
Can you please charge your laptop?
Context: transport
In this meaning, it is about loading vehicles. The verb is often supplemented by a location phrase with 'auf' + accusative, e.g. 'etwas auf einen LKW aufladen' (to load something onto a truck).
EXAMPLE
Die Arbeiter laden die Kisten auf das Schiff.
The workers are loading the boxes onto the ship.
Dative construction
When taking on responsibility, a fixed structure is used: 'sich (dative) etwas (accusative) aufladen' (to take something on oneself). The dative pronoun shows who is taking on the burden.
EXAMPLE
Lade dir nicht zu viele zusätzliche Aufgaben auf!
Don't take on too many additional tasks!
Abstract meaning
This figurative meaning is often combined with adverbs like 'emotional' (emotionally), 'symbolisch' (symbolically), or 'negativ' (negatively). The subject is usually a situation, a place, or a topic.
EXAMPLE
Die politische Debatte ist stark emotional aufgeladen.
The political debate is highly emotionally charged.
Compare with
aufladen vs einladen
to invite / load
Einladen and aufladen both refer to loading luggage or goods onto a means of transport. Einladen emphasizes movement into a vehicle or container. Aufladen is appropriate when the load is placed onto a means of transport.
aufladen
Wir laden die Kisten auf den Anhänger auf.
We are loading the crates onto the trailer.
einladen
Wir laden die Koffer in den Kleinbus ein.
We are loading the suitcases into the minibus.
In real life
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