Word
Wir müssen aufeinander aufpassen.
Meaning
We must look out for each other.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Wir müssen aufeinander aufpassen.
wir
we
müssen
to have to, must
aufpassen
to pay attention
aufeinander
on each other
Questions & Answers about Wir müssen aufeinander aufpassen.
Why is aufeinander written as one word instead of auf einander?
When a preposition like auf is used with the reciprocal word einander (each other), they always fuse into a single word. Because the verb phrase here is aufpassen auf (to look out for), the required preposition auf attaches directly to einander.
The verb is aufpassen. Is the auf in aufeinander just the separable prefix of the verb?
No, it is a separate preposition. The verb aufpassen requires the preposition auf to state who you are looking after (auf jemanden aufpassen). So, the auf in aufeinander is that connecting preposition, while the auf in aufpassen is the verb's own prefix, waiting at the end.
Could I use the pronoun uns instead and say Wir müssen auf uns aufpassen?
You could, but it changes the meaning slightly. Wir müssen auf uns aufpassen usually means 'We must look out for ourselves' as a whole group. Using aufeinander specifically means 'each other', making it clear that the individuals in the group are looking out for one another.
Why does aufpassen stay as a full word at the end instead of splitting?