01
der Sonnenaufgang
sunrise
The appearance of the sun above the horizon in the morning.
example
Wir sind früh aufgestanden, um den Sonnenaufgang am Meer zu beobachten.
We got up early to watch the sunrise by the sea.
der Sonnenaufgang
sunrise
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word composition
'Sonnenaufgang' (sunrise) is made up of 'Sonne' (sun) and 'Aufgang' (rising). The word 'Aufgang' comes from the separable verb 'aufgehen' (to rise), as in 'Die Sonne geht auf' (The sun is rising).
EXAMPLE
Das Aufstehen hat sich gelohnt, der Sonnenaufgang war wunderschön.
Getting up was worth it; the sunrise was beautiful.
Typical collocations
Common verbs used in connection with 'Sonnenaufgang' (sunrise) are 'beobachten' (to watch), 'erleben' (to experience), 'sehen' (to see), or 'fotografieren' (to photograph). It is often described with adjectives such as 'wunderschön' (beautiful), 'spektakulär' (spectacular), or 'atemberaubend' (breathtaking).
EXAMPLE
Wir wollen morgen den spektakulären Sonnenaufgang in den Bergen erleben.
Tomorrow we want to experience the spectacular sunrise in the mountains.
Fixed time expression
The phrase 'bei Sonnenaufgang' (at sunrise) is a fixed time expression and means 'exactly at the time when the sun rises'.
EXAMPLE
Die Fischer fahren jeden Morgen bei Sonnenaufgang aufs Meer hinaus.
The fishermen go out to sea every morning at sunrise.
Compare with
Sonnenaufgang vs Sonnenuntergang
sunset
'Sonnenuntergang' and 'Sonnenaufgang' both describe a daily moment with the sun at the horizon. But they are opposites. At 'Sonnenaufgang' (sunrise), the sun appears in the morning; at 'Sonnenuntergang' (sunset), it disappears in the evening. They are easy to confuse because the words are built in a similar way and both can be connected with beautiful colors in the sky. Pay attention to the direction: 'auf' fits the morning, 'unter' fits the evening.
Sonnenaufgang
Für den Sonnenaufgang standen wir schon um fünf Uhr auf.
We got up as early as five o'clock for the sunrise.
Sonnenuntergang
Am Strand bleiben wir bis zum Sonnenuntergang sitzen.
At the beach, we stay sitting until sunset.
In real life
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