hellwach
wide awake
Physically completely awake and not tired at all.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem starken Kaffee war ich plötzlich hellwach und konnte die ganze Nacht arbeiten.
After the strong coffee, I was suddenly wide awake and could work all night.
hellwach
wide awake / alert
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Meanings
hellwach
alert
Mentally very attentive, quick to react, and sharp-minded.
EXAMPLE
Die Detektivin war hellwach und bemerkte sofort das kleinste Detail am Tatort.
The detective was alert and immediately noticed the smallest detail at the crime scene.
Usage tips
Word composition
The word consists of 'hell' (bright) and 'wach' (awake). Here, 'hell' acts as an intensifier and means 'entirely' or 'completely'. Someone who is 'hellwach' (wide awake) is therefore absolutely no longer tired.
EXAMPLE
Das laute Geräusch machte mich mitten in der Nacht hellwach.
The loud noise made me wide awake in the middle of the night.
Use in a sentence
'Hellwach' (wide awake/alert) is mostly used predicatively with verbs like 'sein' (to be), 'werden' (to become), or 'bleiben' (to remain). It can also describe the manner of an action as an adverb.
EXAMPLE
Trotz der späten Stunde war der Student noch hellwach.
Despite the late hour, the student was still wide awake.
Typical collocations
When referring to being physically awake, the word is often used in situations where one should actually be sleeping. Typical phrases are 'die ganze Nacht hellwach liegen' (to lie wide awake all night) or 'plötzlich hellwach werden' (to suddenly become wide awake).
EXAMPLE
Wegen meiner Sorgen lag ich die halbe Nacht hellwach im Bett.
Because of my worries, I lay wide awake in bed half the night.
Context clue
The meaning 'mentally attentive' can often be recognized from the context. If it is about sports, a dangerous situation, a discussion, or an intellectual task, mental alertness is usually meant.
EXAMPLE
Ein guter Autofahrer muss immer hellwach sein und schnell reagieren können.
A good driver must always be alert and able to react quickly.
Compare with
hellwach vs aufmerksam
attentive / considerate
Aufmerksam and hellwach can both describe someone who is clear-minded and quick to react. Aufmerksam emphasizes directed attention to a conversation or a particular thing, while hellwach emphasizes an especially high general level of mental readiness to react. Use hellwach when the quick reaction is to be emphasized more strongly.
hellwach
Tom war nach der überraschenden Nachricht hellwach und reagierte sofort.
After the surprising news, Tom was wide awake and reacted immediately.
aufmerksam
Tom war aufmerksam und folgte dem Gespräch genau.
Tom was attentive and followed the conversation closely.
In real life
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