other
up, onto, upwards
B1
Rauf- is an informal adverbial prefix meaning “up,” “onto” or “upwards.” It’s not a standalone verb or noun but attaches (often as a separable prefix) to verbs in colloquial speech. It can appear alone in imperatives (e.g. „Rauf!“). Register: informal; avoid in formal writing.
Examples
Die Ballons steigen rauf in den Himmel.
The balloons are going up into the sky.
Der Umzugshelfer trug die Schränke die Treppe rauf- und runter, obwohl das Wetter schlecht war, sodass die Arbeit länger dauerte.
The mover carried the cabinets up and down the stairs, although the weather was bad, so the work took longer.
Leg das Buch rauf auf den Tisch.
Put the book up on the table.
Details
Mnemonics
Picture a staircase leading up to a roof with a big arrow and the letters 'rauf' painted on the top step.
Sounds like English 'rough' (imagine going up over something that's rough).
Notes
The form 'rauf' is a colloquial contraction of 'hinauf' or 'herauf' and often appears as a separable element or standalone adverb in spoken German.