Before you start
Meet ausweichen
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
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.
Verb family
More verbs built on weichen
Same base verb, a different prefix, a new meaning.
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
Task 1 of 10 · Build a sentence
Build a German sentence using these words:
ausweichen + der Radfahrer
Your challenge
- 1Use the present tense.
- 2Use der Radfahrer as a dative object.
Task 2 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
I moved out of his way.
Task 3 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
When the cardas Auto came around the cornerdie Ecke, I moved out of its way.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 4 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
She avoided him because he was drivingfahren too fastschnell.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 5 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
The man who avoided the dogder Hund lives next doornebenan.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 6 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
We have to avoid the wetnass roaddie Straße.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 7 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
He triedversuchen to avoid the childrendas Kind, die Kinder in the parkder Park.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 8 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
Did you avoid the cardas Auto, or did you hitanfahren it?
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:
ausweichen + der Hund + obwohl
Your challenge
- 1Start with an obwohl-clause.
- 2Put the verb at the end of that clause.
- 3Use der Hund as a dative object in the main clause.
Task 10 of 10 · Free writing
Answer in one full German sentence:
When have you had to get out of someone's way? Answer in one German sentence using the verb.
Your challenge
- 1Answer in one sentence using the Perfekt.
- 2Say whom you got out of the way of.