Polyglot Dictionary

aufspüren

/ˈaʊ̯fˌʃpyːʁən/

verb C1

der (masc.) die (fem.) das (neut.)

Underline = a spelling pattern that usually signals that gender.

V Register Neutral Era Current Frequency Academic Domain General Tone Neutral

Forms

present
spürt auf
past
spürte auf
perfect
hat aufgespürt

Meaning

  1. to track down

    Built from auf (up, open) + spüren (to sense).

    • Die Polizei konnte den Täter aufspüren.

      The police were able to track down the culprit.

    • Die Polizei konnte den Dieb schnell aufspüren. Er hatte sich in einer Scheune versteckt.

      The police were able to track down the thief quickly. He had hidden in a barn.

V Category Action Concreteness Concrete Agency Voluntary Duration Durative Transitivity Transitive

Made of

  • auf up, open
  • spüren to sense

Similar words

nachspüren

Near-total synonyms for "to track down"; aufspüren is the more common, direct word — to find or detect; nachspüren is more literary, tracing or following a scent or trail.

Practice

1 What does aufspüren mean?

2 Fill the gap: Die Polizei konnte den Täter ___.

3 Which fingerprint chart matches aufspüren?

verbseparablecompound

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