aufbricht

Aufbrechen is a German verb with two principal meanings. It can mean to break something open, such as a door or container, and it can also mean to depart or set off on a journey or expedition. In metaphorical usage, it can refer to the beginning of a movement or process.

Etymology and related forms. The verb is built from the prefix auf- attached to brechen, meaning “to break.” It is a separable-prefix verb, so in the present tense the prefix is typically separated: er bricht auf; er bricht die Tür auf. The noun form is Aufbruch, which denotes departure, the start of a journey, or the onset of a new phase (for example, Aufbruchstimmung describes a mood of beginning anew).

Usage notes and examples. In the physical sense: Er bricht die Tür auf. He breaks the door open. In the sense of starting a journey or movement: Die Truppen brechen morgen auf. The troops depart tomorrow. In a broader sense, Aufbruch is used to indicate the dawning of a new era or a collective push for change, as in der Aufbruch in neue Zeiten (the departure into new times). The verb also appears in passive constructions with the participle: Der Kanal ist aufgebrochen. (The canal has burst open / broken through.) The past tense form is brach auf (Präteritum), and the perfect uses the auxiliary sein with the past participle aufgebrochen.

Conjugation at a glance. Present: ich breche auf; du brichst auf; er bricht auf; wir brechen auf; ihr brecht auf; sie brechen auf. Preterite: ich brach auf. Perfect: ich bin aufgebrochen. These forms reflect the separable-prefix nature of aufbrechen.

See also. Aufbruch as a noun; related terms such as Ausbruch (outbreak) and Durchbruch (breakthrough), which share the idea of crossing a boundary or starting a new phase.