Aufrichten

Aufrichten is a German verb with a separable prefix (auf-), meaning to bring into an upright position. It can refer to both raising a person or object to a vertical stance and to the act of sitting up or straightening one’s body. The reflexive form sich aufrichten means to sit up or straighten oneself, as in "Ich richte mich im Bett auf." The past participle is aufgerichtet, and the adjective aufrecht describes something that is erect or upright.

In everyday language, aufrichten describes simple, physical actions such as getting up from lying down, standing up, or raising the torso. In medical and rehabilitation contexts, the term is used to denote assisting a patient from a recumbent position to an upright one, for example "den Patienten aufrichten" or "Aufrichten aus der Rückenlage." It is a common term in physiotherapy, geriatrics, and nursing to describe early mobility and posture training.

Beyond human posture, aufrichten also appears in technical and architectural language to denote the erection or setting up of structures or components, sometimes written as Aufrichtung. For example, the Aufrichtung einer Statue or der Aufrichtung eines Bauwerks refers to the process of raising and positioning.

Overall, aufrichten covers physical acts of verticalization, whether of people in care settings or of structures in construction, and is linked with the related adjective aufrecht, meaning erect or upright.