to arouse / provoke
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to attract attention
To draw the attention of the public or of many people, often through something unusual or spectacular.
Mit seinem extravaganten Outfit erregte er überall Aufsehen.
With his extravagant outfit, he attracted attention everywhere.
to provoke
To cause strong feelings or emotions such as excitement, anger, curiosity, or pity in someone.
Die Nachricht von der Schließung des Werks erregte großen Unmut bei den Mitarbeitern.
The news of the plant’s closure provoked great resentment among the employees.
to get worked up
To get upset about something; to enter a state of anger, rage, or strong emotional agitation.
Bitte erregen Sie sich nicht, wir finden eine Lösung für das Problem.
Please don’t get worked up; we’ll find a solution to the problem.
to arouse
To cause sexual arousal in someone or to become sexually aroused oneself.
Bestimmte Reize können eine Person sexuell erregen.
Certain stimuli can sexually arouse a person.
'Erregen' (to arouse / provoke) is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'er-' remains firmly attached to the verb stem 'regen' in all conjugated forms and sentence types.
Die Geschichte erregte bei den Zuhörern großes Mitleid.
The story provoked great pity among the listeners.
The expression 'Aufsehen erregen' (to attract attention / cause a stir) is a fixed collocation. It means to draw the attention of many people. 'Aufsehen' is always the accusative object here.
Der Künstler wollte mit seiner Aktion öffentliches Aufsehen erregen.
The artist wanted to attract public attention with his action.
In this meaning, the objects are usually abstract feelings or reactions. Typical examples are 'Mitleid erregen' (to arouse pity), 'Zweifel erregen' (to raise doubts), 'Ärger erregen' (to cause anger), or 'Neugier erregen' (to arouse curiosity).
Sein seltsames Verhalten erregte unseren Verdacht.
His strange behavior aroused our suspicion.
As a reflexive verb, 'sich erregen' means to get upset or become angry. It is often used with the preposition 'über' (about) and the accusative.
Er erregt sich immer über Kleinigkeiten im Straßenverkehr.
He always gets worked up about little things in traffic.
It is important to know that 'erregen' also has a sexual meaning. In relevant contexts, it means to sexually stimulate someone or to become stimulated.
Der Roman enthält einige Szenen, die als erregend beschrieben werden.
The novel contains some scenes that are described as arousing.
to stand out / to notice
Auffallen and Aufsehen erregen can both mean that something attracts attention. Auffallen often simply describes something being noticed, even without intent; Aufsehen erregen emphasizes a strong impact on the public or on many people. Use erregen especially for something unusual or spectacular.
Der ungewöhnliche Hut erregt bei der öffentlichen Feier großes Aufsehen.
The unusual hat causes quite a stir at the public celebration.
Der ungewöhnliche Hut fällt den Gästen sofort auf.
The unusual hat immediately catches the guests’ attention.
