aufrecht
upright
In a straight, vertical posture; not bent over or lying down.
EXAMPLE
Er saß aufrecht auf seinem Stuhl und hörte aufmerksam zu.
He sat upright on his chair and listened attentively.
aufrecht
upright
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
aufrecht erhalten
to maintain
To keep something (such as a claim, an offer, or an order) in force and not withdraw or give it up.
EXAMPLE
Trotz der Kritik erhalten wir unser Angebot aufrecht.
Despite the criticism, we are maintaining our offer.
aufrecht
upright
Honest, principled, and of strong character.
EXAMPLE
Sie ist eine aufrechte Demokratin, die für ihre Überzeugungen einsteht.
She is an upright democrat who stands up for her convictions.
Usage tips
Word composition
The word is composed of 'auf' (up) and 'recht' (in the sense of straight). So it literally describes a straight, upward-facing position or posture.
EXAMPLE
Bitte halten Sie den Rücken beim Heben aufrecht.
Please keep your back upright when lifting.
Adverbial use
'Aufrecht' (upright) is very often used as an adverb to describe how an action is carried out. It then appears unchanged after the verb.
EXAMPLE
Trotz des starken Windes ging er aufrecht weiter.
Despite the strong wind, he kept walking upright.
Fixed expression
The meaning 'bestehen lassen' (to keep in force/maintain) exists only in the fixed expression 'etwas aufrecht erhalten' (to maintain something). The object stands between the two parts of the expression.
EXAMPLE
Die Firma erhält ihr Kaufangebot trotz der neuen Informationen aufrecht.
The company is maintaining its purchase offer despite the new information.
Figurative meaning
The meaning 'ehrlich' (honest) or 'charakterfest' (of strong character) is a transfer from physical posture. A person with a 'straight' posture is considered honest and principled in the figurative sense.
EXAMPLE
Er ist ein aufrechter Mensch, der immer zu seiner Meinung steht.
He is an upright person who always stands by his opinion.
Compare with
aufrecht vs gerade
right now / straight
„Gerade“ and „aufrecht“ can both describe a body posture that is not bent over. Usually, you keep your back gerade, meaning not curved, and your upper body aufrecht, meaning in a vertical position.
aufrecht
Halte beim Sitzen den Oberkörper aufrecht.
Keep your upper body upright while sitting.
gerade
Halte beim Sitzen den Rücken gerade.
Keep your back straight while sitting.
In real life
Loading video examples...