wecken
to wake
To bring someone out of sleep; to cause someone to wake up.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du mich morgen früh um sechs Uhr wecken?
Can you wake me tomorrow morning at six o'clock?
wecken
to wake
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
wecken
to arouse / evoke
To arouse or trigger a feeling, a memory, or an interest.
EXAMPLE
Dieser Geruch weckt bei mir immer Kindheitserinnerungen.
This smell always evokes childhood memories for me.
keine schlafenden Hunde wecken
let sleeping dogs lie
An idiom meaning that one should leave a sensitive matter alone in order not to cause unnecessary problems.
EXAMPLE
Frag lieber nicht nach dem alten Streit, man soll keine schlafenden Hunde wecken.
Better not ask about the old argument; you should let sleeping dogs lie.
Usage tips
Word family
'Wecken' (to wake) is the causative verb related to 'wachen' (to be awake/keep watch) or 'aufwachen' (to wake up). It means to make someone or something awake.
EXAMPLE
Der Lärm von der Baustelle wird ihn sicher gleich wecken.
The noise from the construction site will surely wake him any moment now.
Accusative object
The verb 'wecken' (to wake) always requires an accusative object. This object is the person who is supposed to wake up, or the feeling that is being triggered.
EXAMPLE
Der laute Wecker hat mich heute Morgen geweckt.
The loud alarm clock woke me this morning.
Context clue
When 'wecken' (to wake) is used with a person, it means 'aufwecken' (to wake someone up). When it is used with an abstract noun like 'Interesse' (interest) or 'Erinnerung' (memory), it means 'hervorrufen' (to evoke/trigger).
EXAMPLE
Bitte wecke den Vater nicht, er ist sehr müde.
Please don't wake the father; he is very tired.
Typical collocations
In the figurative meaning, 'wecken' (to arouse/evoke) is very often combined with abstract nouns: 'Interesse wecken' (to arouse interest), 'Neugier wecken' (to arouse curiosity), 'Erinnerungen wecken' (to evoke memories), 'Gefühle wecken' (to arouse feelings), or 'Hoffnung wecken' (to inspire hope).
EXAMPLE
Ein guter Lehrer kann die Neugier seiner Schüler wecken.
A good teacher can arouse their students' curiosity.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'keine schlafenden Hunde wecken' (to let sleeping dogs lie) is a fixed unit. It is used to express that it is better not to bring up an old, sensitive topic.
EXAMPLE
Ich wollte die Chefin nicht nach dem Fehler fragen, um keine schlafenden Hunde zu wecken.
I didn't want to ask the boss about the mistake, so as not to wake sleeping dogs.
Compare with
wecken vs auslösen
to trigger / release
Both verbs can evoke a feeling or emotional reaction. Auslösen focuses more on the specific result caused by a trigger, while wecken activates a feeling, interest, or memory that is already present or initially hidden. Auslösen is appropriate when there is a clear cause, while wecken is more suitable for a feeling that gradually comes to the surface.
wecken
Die alten Fotos weckten bei den Angehörigen viele Erinnerungen.
The old photos evoked many memories among the relatives.
auslösen
Die Nachricht löste bei den Angehörigen große Sorge aus.
The news caused great concern among the relatives.
In real life
Loading video examples...