to stir up
Loading your saved state.
to stir up
To strongly unsettle, excite, or disturb someone emotionally. Often used in connection with memories, news, or experiences.
Die alten Briefe haben viele schmerzhafte Erinnerungen in ihr aufgewühlt.
The old letters stirred up many painful memories in her.
to churn up
To dig through and bring up soil, sand, or mud, creating an uneven or messy surface.
Die Wildschweine haben den ganzen Waldboden aufgewühlt.
The wild boars churned up the entire forest floor.
'Aufwühlen' (to stir up / to churn up) is a separable verb. In a main clause, the prefix 'auf' comes at the end; in subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu' (to), the verb stays together.
Diese Nachricht wühlt mich sehr auf.
This news stirs me up a lot.
The verb is made up of 'auf' (up) and 'wühlen' (to dig, to rummage). The emotional meaning is a metaphor: feelings or memories are 'dug' to the surface like earth and create unrest.
Das Thema hat bei der Diskussion starke Emotionen aufgewühlt.
The topic stirred up strong emotions during the discussion.
You can recognize the emotional meaning from the fact that the object is a person and the trigger is often an abstract subject. Typical triggers are news, a film, a conversation, or a memory.
Der Film über den Krieg hat die Zuschauer tief aufgewühlt.
The film about the war deeply stirred up the audience.
In the literal meaning, 'aufwühlen' (to churn up) is often connected with animals or machines that work the ground. Typical objects are 'Erde' (soil), 'Schlamm' (mud), or 'Sand' (sand).
Der Maulwurf hat den ganzen Rasen aufgewühlt.
The mole churned up the entire lawn.
to upset / excite
Aufregen and aufwühlen both describe a strong emotional reaction. Aufregen refers to general agitation, worry, or anger, which can also pass quickly. Aufwühlen emphasizes a deeper inner disturbance that often continues to affect someone for longer after distressing news, memories, or experiences.
Die schlechte Nachricht wühlte Mia so auf, dass sie noch Tage später daran dachte.
The bad news disturbed Mia so deeply that she was still thinking about it days later.
Die schlechte Nachricht regte Mia am Morgen kurz auf.
The bad news briefly upset Mia that morning.
