Aufheben
Example: Bitte hebe das Papier auf, damit es nicht verloren geht.
Definition
"Aufheben" is a verb meaning to pick up or lift something from a surface, often to prevent it from being lost or damaged. It can also mean to cancel or abolish a rule or agreement in certain contexts.
Etymology
The German verb "aufheben" combines 'auf', meaning 'up', and 'heben', meaning 'to lift'. Did you know? This word interestingly also carries a philosophical meaning of 'sublation' in Hegelian dialectics, where it means to both preserve and change something. Its everyday use, however, simply involves lifting or picking something up.
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"Aufheben" appears in the Vocaplus list "German - General - (B1) - set 1", containing 119 commonly used words.
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