der  Aufzug

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈʔaʊfˌtsuːk/

What does "der Aufzug" mean? 🤔

The German word der Aufzug has two main meanings:

1. Elevator / Lift: A technical device for transporting people or goods between different floors of a building. This is the most common meaning in everyday life.
   Example: Wir nehmen den Aufzug in den fünften Stock. (We take the elevator to the fifth floor.)
2. Act (in a play): A main section of a play or opera.
   Example: Die Szene spielt im zweiten Aufzug. (The scene takes place in the second act.)

It is a masculine noun and always uses the article der.

Article rules for der, die, and das

Grammar in Detail: Der Aufzug

Der Aufzug is a masculine noun. Here is its declension:

Singular Declension

Plural Declension

Example Sentences 📝

• Nominative: Der Aufzug ist außer Betrieb. (The elevator is out of order.)
• Genitive: Die Reparatur des Aufzugs dauert lange. (The repair of the elevator takes a long time.)
• Dative: Ich stehe vor dem Aufzug. (I am standing in front of the elevator.)
• Accusative: Wir müssen den Aufzug nehmen. (We have to take the elevator.)
• Plural: In diesem Gebäude gibt es drei Aufzüge. (There are three elevators in this building.)
• Meaning 'Act': Der dritte Aufzug des Stücks war besonders spannend. (The third act of the play was particularly exciting.)

Usage in Context 🏢🎭

The use of der Aufzug strongly depends on the context:

• In buildings / Everyday life: Here, "Aufzug" almost always means the Fahrstuhl (elevator) or Lift. It's the most common word for it in Germany.
  • "Der Aufzug ist leider kaputt, wir müssen die Treppe nehmen." ("Unfortunately, the elevator is broken, we have to take the stairs.")
  • "In welchem Stockwerk hält der Aufzug?" ("Which floor does the elevator stop at?")
• In theater / literature / opera: Here, "Aufzug" refers to an Akt (act), a major section of the plot.
  • "Nach dem zweiten Aufzug gibt es eine Pause." ("There is an intermission after the second act.")
  • "Die Handlung erreicht ihren Höhepunkt im letzten Aufzug." ("The plot reaches its climax in the final act.")

Difference from similar words:

• Fahrstuhl (der): Synonym for Aufzug (meaning 1), often perceived as slightly more formal, but very common.
• Lift (der): Also a synonym for Aufzug (meaning 1), often used in hotels or international contexts, borrowed from English.
• Akt (der): Synonym for Aufzug (meaning 2), often used more specifically in the theater context.

⚠️ Avoid confusion: In everyday context, it almost always refers to the elevator.

Memory Aids 🧠

Article Aid

Imagine DER super strong man (masculine!) pulling (Zug) you up (auf) in a box – that's der Auf-Zug (the elevator).

Meaning Aid

An Aufzug takes you upwards ('auf') like an elevator, or it draws ('zieht' -> 'Zug') up ('auf') the tension, like an act in a play. Both involve an 'up-pull' or 'up-draw'.

Word Field: Synonyms & Antonyms ↔️

Potential Confusion! ⚠️

The word Zug alone has many meanings (train, draft/draught, move in a game, etc.) unrelated to Aufzug.

A Little Joke 😄

German: Warum hat der Aufzug schlechte Laune? Weil er ständig runtergemacht wird!

English: Why is the elevator in a bad mood? Because it's constantly being brought down / put down (pun)!

Poem / Rap 🎵

German:
Der Aufzug, leis und sacht,
hat uns nach oben gebracht.
Stockwerk um Stockwerk, ein leises Surren,
ohne Hasten, ohne Murren.

Im Theater, Licht geht an,
der zweite Aufzug fängt nun an.
Spannung steigt, das Stück geht weiter,
mal ist's traurig, mal ganz heiter.

English Translation:
The elevator, quiet and gentle,
has brought us upwards.
Floor by floor, a soft whirring,
without rushing, without grumbling.

In the theatre, lights turn on,
the second act now begins.
The tension rises, the play goes on,
sometimes it's sad, sometimes quite cheerful.

Guess What! 🤔

German:
Ich bring dich hoch, ich bring dich runter,
mach Stockwerkwechsel schnell und munter.
Im Theater teil ich Stücke ein,
was kann ich wohl nur sein?

English:
I take you up, I take you down,
make floor changes quick and sound.
In the theatre, I divide the play,
what can I possibly be, pray?

Solution: der Aufzug (the elevator / the act)

Further Information 🧩

Word Formation

The word Aufzug is composed of:

• auf: Prefix/preposition indicating upward movement or opening.
• Zug (der): From the verb "ziehen" (to pull, to draw, to move). Here in the sense of "the pull" or "the movement".

So, literally, something that pulls upwards or draws up/stages an action (like in theater).

Cultural Tidbit

The invention of the modern safety elevator by Elisha Otis in the mid-19th century revolutionized architecture, making the construction of skyscrapers possible.