verb
to give up, to send (a parcel/letter), to assign (homework)
B1
Has three main senses: 'to give up' (quit), 'to send' (a parcel/letter), and 'to assign' (e.g. homework). It's a separable, irregular (strong) verb: ich gebe auf / du gibst auf; preterite gab; participle aufgegeben. Uses haben as auxiliary. No fixed preposition; separable prefix auf moves to sentence end.
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.EXAMPLES
Ich habe das Paket gestern aufgegeben.
I sent the parcel yesterday.
Der Ingenieur gab das Projekt auf, weil die Finanzierung plötzlich wegfiel.
The engineer abandoned the project because the funding suddenly disappeared.
Die Lehrerin gab den Schülern neue Hausaufgaben auf.
The teacher assigned the students new homework.
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.DETAILS_LABEL
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.MNEMONICS
Picture dropping (geben) something onto a desk labelled 'Auf' — you hand it in or give it up.
Think 'give up' — 'aufgeben' literally 'give up' and sounds similar in meaning.
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.NOTES
A separable verb with several meanings depending on context: 'to give up' (quit), 'to send' (post a package), and 'to assign' (homework/tasks). In perfect tense the participle is 'aufgegeben' and it normally uses 'haben' as auxiliary ('hat aufgegeben').