to grow up
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to grow up
To spend one's childhood and youth in a particular place or under particular conditions while developing.
Ich bin auf dem Land aufgewachsen und hatte eine glückliche Kindheit.
I grew up in the countryside and had a happy childhood.
'Aufwachsen' (to grow up) is a separable verb. In the present tense or simple past, the prefix 'auf' goes at the end of the sentence. In a subordinate clause, the whole verb stands at the end.
Meine Kinder wachsen in der Stadt auf.
My children are growing up in the city.
The perfect tense of 'aufwachsen' (to grow up) is always formed with the auxiliary verb 'sein' (to be), because it describes a development and change. So it is 'ich bin aufgewachsen' (I grew up), not 'ich habe aufgewachsen'.
Er ist bei seinen Großeltern aufgewachsen.
He grew up with his grandparents.
To describe the place or circumstances of growing up, prepositions such as 'in' (e.g., in a city, in poverty), 'auf' (e.g., in the countryside), or 'bei' (e.g., with the grandparents) are often used.
Sie ist in einer musikalischen Familie aufgewachsen.
She grew up in a musical family.
The word is simply made up of the prefix 'auf' and the verb 'wachsen' (to grow). The meaning is very direct: it describes the process of how a person 'grows up' from a child into an adult.
Es ist faszinierend zu sehen, wie schnell Kinder aufwachsen.
It is fascinating to see how quickly children grow up.
to grow / to wax
'wachsen' and 'aufwachsen' both have to do with development, especially with people, animals, or plants. 'wachsen' mainly describes something getting bigger. A child grows, a plant grows, or hair grows. 'aufwachsen' is used for a person's childhood and youth: it says where or under what conditions someone grew up. Learners may confuse the words because both are connected with 'getting bigger'. The simple difference is: 'wachsen' describes the physical process, while 'aufwachsen' describes the period of life as a child or young person.
Ich bin in einer kleinen Stadt am Meer aufgewachsen.
I grew up in a small town by the sea.
Die Tomaten wachsen im Sommer besonders schnell.
Tomatoes grow especially quickly in summer.