Before you start
Meet ausfallen
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
All 4 meanings
- (military) to sortie, to sally
- (intransitive) to fail, malfunction, to go off
- (intransitive) to be canceled
- (intransitive, colloquial) to turn out
Build the meaning
aus- + fallen
- aus-
- out of, or away from, an expected course
- fallen
- to fall
Something that falls out of the expected course or schedule does not happen as planned.
So ausfallen means to be cancelled; to fail.
A memory aid, not a rule: prefixes change meaning from verb to verb.
Learning approach inspired by this explanation in r/German.
Separable verb: aus·fallen
In a main clause the prefix aus splits off and goes to the end. After weil, dass and other subordinating words, the verb stays in one piece at the end.
Main clauseDas Konzert fällt leider aus.Unfortunately, the concert is cancelled.
Subordinate clauseSie ist traurig, weil das Spiel ausfällt.She is sad because the game is cancelled.
Participle: ausgefallenzu-infinitive: auszufallen
Forms
How ausfallen changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | falle aus | fiel aus |
| du | fällst aus | fielst aus |
| er/sie/es | fällt aus | fiel aus |
| wir | fallen aus | fielen aus |
| ihr | fallt aus | fielt aus |
| Sie | fallen aus | fielen aus |
Partizip II ausgefallen · Perfekt with sein
Three examples
- 1Der Bus fällt heute aus.The bus is cancelled today.prefix goes to the end
- 2Der Zug ist gestern ausgefallen.The train was cancelled yesterday.Perfekt with sein
- 3Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil der Unterricht ausfällt.I’m staying home because class is cancelled.verb at the end after weil
Verb family
More verbs built on fallen
Same base verb, a different prefix, a new meaning.