Before you start
Meet ausziehen
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
All 7 meanings
- (intransitive) to move out, to vacate [auxiliary sein]
- (intransitive) to set off, to set out (in order to achieve a higher goal, into war, a period of travels, etc.) [auxiliary sein]
- (transitive) to take off (a piece of clothing, shoes) [auxiliary haben]
- (transitive) to undress (a person) [auxiliary haben]
- (reflexive) to undress (oneself), to take off one's clothes
- (transitive) to extend, to pull out (something to its full length, from a previously collapsed state) [auxiliary haben]
Build the meaning
aus- + ziehen
- aus-
- outward, or away from the body
- ziehen
- to pull
Pulling outward can mean moving out of a place or pulling clothes off the body.
So ausziehen means to move out; to undress or take off clothes.
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·ziehen
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 clauseWir ziehen heute aus.We’re moving out today.
Subordinate clauseIch helfe dir, weil du ausziehst.I’m helping you because you’re moving out.
Participle: ausgezogenzu-infinitive: auszuziehen
Forms
How ausziehen changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | ziehe aus | zog aus |
| du | ziehst aus | zogst aus |
| er/sie/es | zieht aus | zog aus |
| wir | ziehen aus | zogen aus |
| ihr | zieht aus | zogt aus |
| Sie | ziehen aus | zogen aus |
Partizip II ausgezogen · Perfekt with sein
Three examples
- 1Ich ziehe nächsten Monat aus.I’m moving out next month.prefix goes to the end
- 2Sie hat ihre Schuhe ausgezogen.She took off her shoes.Perfekt with haben
- 3Du kannst deine Jacke ausziehen.You can take off your jacket.infinitive after modal
Verb family
More verbs built on ziehen
Same base verb, a different prefix, a new meaning.