wach
awake
Not sleeping; in a state of being awake.
EXAMPLE
Wegen des Lärms war ich die halbe Nacht wach.
Because of the noise, I was awake half the night.
wach
awake / alert
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Meanings
wach
alert
Mentally attentive, active, and receptive.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat einen sehr wachen Verstand und versteht alles sofort.
She has a very alert mind and understands everything immediately.
Usage tips
Word family
'Wach' (awake, the state) is closely related to the verbs 'aufwachen' (to wake up, the act of becoming awake) and 'wecken' (to wake someone up). These words describe different aspects of the same concept.
EXAMPLE
Ich wache jeden Morgen um sieben Uhr auf und bin dann sofort wach.
I wake up every morning at seven and am then immediately awake.
Typical verbs
The adjective 'wach' (awake) is very often combined with the verbs 'sein' (to be), 'bleiben' (to stay), and 'werden' (to become). 'Wach sein' describes the state, 'wach bleiben' the continuation, and 'wach werden' the transition to being awake.
EXAMPLE
Ich trinke Kaffee, um länger wach zu bleiben.
I drink coffee to stay awake longer.
Sentence structure
In the meaning 'nicht schlafend' (not sleeping), 'wach' (awake) is almost always used predicatively, meaning it comes after the verb and describes the state of the subject.
EXAMPLE
Bist du noch wach oder schläfst du schon?
Are you still awake, or are you already sleeping?
Figurative meaning
When 'wach' (alert) means mental attentiveness, it can also stand before a noun. Typical expressions are 'ein wacher Geist' (an alert mind) or observing something 'mit wachen Augen' (with alert eyes).
EXAMPLE
Er ist ein alter Mann, hat aber immer noch einen sehr wachen Geist.
He is an old man, but he still has a very alert mind.
Compare with
wach vs klar
clear
Wach initially means that someone is not asleep, and it can also refer to mental alertness. Klar, on the other hand, emphasizes that the person can think consciously and rationally. Someone can therefore already be wach but still not be completely clear-headed.
wach
Nach der Narkose ist Paul schon wach, kann sich aber noch nicht gut konzentrieren.
After the anesthesia, Paul is already awake, but he still cannot concentrate well.
klar
Nach der Narkose ist Paul wieder klar im Kopf und beantwortet alle Fragen.
After the anesthesia, Paul is clear-headed again and answers all the questions.
In real life
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