Before you start
Meet ausrichten
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
All 6 meanings
- to align
- to justify or orient
- to rectify; to achieve (something by changing a situation)
- to pass on (a message)
- (Southern Germany, Austria, South Tyrol) to badmouth; to make negative comments about (someone)
- (Switzerland) to pay out (a pension etc.)
Build the meaning
aus- + richten
- aus-
- outward, toward an intended destination
- richten
- to direct or set straight
Think of directing something outward: setting objects straight or sending a message to its recipient.
So ausrichten means to align; to convey or pass on a message.
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·richten
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 clauseDer Chef richtet den Plan neu aus.The boss is aligning the plan again.
Subordinate clauseWir warten, weil sie die Stühle ausrichtet.We are waiting because she is aligning the chairs.
Participle: ausgerichtetzu-infinitive: auszurichten
Forms
How ausrichten changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | richte aus | richtete aus |
| du | richtest aus | richtetest aus |
| er/sie/es | richtet aus | richtete aus |
| wir | richten aus | richteten aus |
| ihr | richtet aus | richtetet aus |
| Sie | richten aus | richteten aus |
Partizip II ausgerichtet · Perfekt with haben
Three examples
- 1Ich richte deiner Mutter Grüße aus.I send your mother greetings.passing on greetings
- 2Wir haben den Tisch gerade ausgerichtet.We aligned the table straight.Perfekt for alignment
- 3Er sagt, dass ich ihr die Nachricht ausrichte.He says that I pass the message on to her.verb at the end after dass
Verb family
More verbs built on richten
Same base verb, a different prefix, a new meaning.