Before you start
Meet ausweichen
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
All 3 meanings
- to dodge, to avoid (hitting), to (just) miss, to swerve around [with dative ‘someone/something’]
- to avoid, to keep away from, to give a wide berth to [with dative ‘someone/something’]
- (intransitive) to switch, to change [with auf (+ accusative) ‘to something’]
Build the meaning
aus- + weichen
- aus-
- away from the path or course
- weichen
- to yield or give way
You yield by moving out of someone’s path.
So ausweichen means to dodge, avoid, or make way for.
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·weichen
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 Bus weicht dem Radfahrer aus.The bus gets out of the cyclist’s way.
Subordinate clauseIch bleibe hier, weil ich dem Ball ausweiche.I’ll stay here because I’m avoiding the ball.
Participle: ausgewichenzu-infinitive: auszuweichen
Forms
How ausweichen changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | weiche aus | wich aus |
| du | weichst aus | wichst aus |
| er/sie/es | weicht aus | wich aus |
| wir | weichen aus | wichen aus |
| ihr | weicht aus | wicht aus |
| Sie | weichen aus | wichen aus |
Partizip II ausgewichen · Perfekt with sein
Three examples
- 1Er weicht der Frage aus.He avoids the question.prefix goes to the end
- 2Ich bin dem Auto ausgewichen.I moved out of the car’s way.Perfekt with sein
- 3Sie sagt, dass sie dem Hund ausweicht.She says that she is avoiding the dog.verb at the end after dass
Verb family
More verbs built on weichen
Same base verb, a different prefix, a new meaning.