Before you start
Meet ausgehen
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
Build the meaning
aus- + gehen
- aus-
- outward, away from an inside or starting point
- gehen
- to go
Something goes outward from where it began—or goes out of its current state.
So ausgehen means to go out; to go off or run out; to assume or proceed from a starting point.
A memory aid, not a rule: prefixes change meaning from verb to verb.
Learning approach inspired by this explanation in r/German.
Verb family
More verbs built on gehen
Same base verb, a different prefix, a new meaning.
- eingehento deal with, give attention
- weitergehento go on
- angehento concern, go on
- zurückgehento go back, decrease
- umgehento treat, handle
- hingehento go there
- zugehento approach, close
- aufgehento rise, open
Separable verb: aus·gehen
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 clauseMeine Freunde gehen am Samstag aus.My friends are going out on Saturday.
Subordinate clauseIch bleibe zu Hause, weil die Lampe ausgeht.I’m staying home because the lamp is going out.
Participle: ausgegangenzu-infinitive: auszugehen
Forms
How ausgehen changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | gehe aus | ging aus |
| du | gehst aus | gingst aus |
| er/sie/es | geht aus | ging aus |
| wir | gehen aus | gingen aus |
| ihr | geht aus | gingt aus |
| Sie | gehen aus | gingen aus |
Partizip II ausgegangen · Perfekt with sein
Three examples
- 1Das Licht geht plötzlich aus.The light suddenly goes out.prefix goes to the end
- 2Wir sind gestern früh ausgegangen.We went out early yesterday.Perfekt with sein
- 3Ich gehe davon aus, dass er heute kommt.I assume that he is coming today.verb at the end after dass
Task 1 of 10 · Build a sentence
Build a German sentence using these words:
ausgehen + das Licht
Your challenge
- 1Use the present tense.
- 2Make das Licht the subject.
Task 2 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
I went out with her yesterday.
Task 3 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
When I go out, my parents stay at home.
Task 4 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
We went home because the lightsdas Licht went out.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 5 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
The friendsder Freund, die Freunde I went out with live near my housedas Haus.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 6 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
We can go out after workdie Arbeit if you want.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 7 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
She hopes to go out with him tonight.
Task 8 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
Do you assume that the shopder Laden is already closedgeschlossen?
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 9 of 10 · Build a sentence
Build a German sentence using these words:
ausgehen + dass + der Zug
Your challenge
- 1Use davon ausgehen in the present tense.
- 2Add a dass-clause about der Zug.
- 3Put the conjugated verb at the end of the dass-clause.
Task 10 of 10 · Free writing
Answer in one full German sentence:
What do you assume when someone is late? Answer in one German sentence using ausgehen.
Your challenge
- 1Answer with davon ausgehen.
- 2Include a wenn-clause and a dass-clause.