auflaufen
accumulate · run aground
Wenn etwas oder jemand gegen ein Hindernis stößt und nicht weiterkommt.
The German verb "auflaufen" consists of the prefix "auf" (up/on) and the verb "laufen" (to run).
Meaning:
- To accumulate or build up (e.g., debts, orders, or queues).
- To run up or arrive by running.
- In a nautical context, it can mean to run aground.
Similar words:
- sich ansammeln (to accumulate)
- zunehmen (to increase)
- steigen (to rise)
Difference:
While "auflaufen" often implies accumulation over time (especially in legal, financial, or process contexts), "sich ansammeln" emphasizes gathering or piling up physically or abstractly, and "zunehmen" is more general about increasing in quantity or size without the nuance of "running up."
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Examples
Die Kosten können schnell auflaufen.verb
The costs can quickly accumulate.
Gestern lief das Schiff bei Ebbe auf einer Sandbank auf.verb
Yesterday the ship ran aground on a sandbank at low tide.
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