Happening, appearing, or showing up. This word is often used to describe the appearance of phenomena, problems, symptoms, or characteristics.
example
Die bei diesem Medikament am häufigsten auftretenden Nebenwirkungen sind Kopfschmerzen und Müdigkeit.
The side effects most commonly occurring with this medication are headaches and fatigue.
Usage tips
Participle as adjective
'Auftretend' (occurring) is the present participle of the verb 'auftreten' (to appear, to occur). It is used like an adjective before a noun to describe it.
EXAMPLE
Plötzlich auftretende Schmerzen sollten Sie ärztlich abklären lassen.
You should have suddenly occurring pain checked by a doctor.
Register and style
This form is typical of written language, especially in formal, scientific, or medical texts. In spoken language, people would more likely use a relative clause.
EXAMPLE
Der Bericht listet alle im Projekt auftretenden Schwierigkeiten auf.
The report lists all the difficulties occurring in the project.
Typical collocations
The word is mostly used for negative or neutral phenomena. Common combinations are 'auftretende Probleme' (occurring problems), 'auftretende Symptome' (occurring symptoms), 'auftretende Fehler' (occurring errors), or 'auftretende Kosten' (occurring costs).
EXAMPLE
Wir müssen einen Plan für unerwartet auftretende Probleme entwickeln.
We need to develop a plan for unexpectedly occurring problems.
Compare with
near_synonym · confusable
auftretend vs vorliegend
present / available
'vorliegend' and 'auftretend' can both appear in more formal texts when talking about cases, problems, or data. The difference lies in the point of view: 'vorliegend' describes something that is already present or available for review. 'auftretend' describes something that appears, occurs, or shows up, for example a problem or a symptom. Learners may confuse the words because both can be used with problems or cases. If something is already there as material or as a case, 'vorliegend' fits. If something happens or becomes visible, 'auftretend' fits.
auftretend
Bei plötzlich auftretenden Schmerzen sollte man eine Ärztin anrufen.
If sudden pain occurs, you should call a doctor.
vorliegend
Im vorliegenden Bericht stehen alle wichtigen Zahlen zum Projekt.
The present report contains all the important figures for the project.