ausgehen

The German verb ausgehen is an incredibly versatile and frequently used separable verb that carries multiple distinct meanings depending entirely on the context in which it is deployed. At its most fundamental and common level, particularly for learners at the A1 and A2 stages, it translates to 'to go out' in a social sense. This involves leaving one's home to engage in leisure activities, such as visiting a restaurant, a bar, a cinema, a club, or simply spending time with friends in a public space. However, as learners progress into B1, B2, and C-level German, the semantic range of 'ausgehen' expands dramatically, encompassing concepts such as resources running out, events concluding, lights extinguishing, assumptions being made, and phenomena originating from a specific source. Understanding these nuances is crucial for achieving fluency.

Beyond socializing, 'ausgehen' is used when something comes to an end or concludes in a specific manner. For instance, if you are watching a thriller and want to know how the story resolves, you might ask how the film 'ausgeht'. This application is deeply embedded in everyday storytelling and reporting. Furthermore, it describes the depletion of resources. When you run out of money, patience, ideas, or food, the item that is depleting becomes the subject of the sentence, and the person experiencing the lack is often expressed in the dative case. This structural shift is a common stumbling block for learners but is essential for natural-sounding German.

Socializing

Used when individuals leave their residence for entertainment or social interaction.

Depletion

Describes the state of resources, such as money or supplies, being completely used up.

Conclusion

Refers to the final outcome or ending of an event, story, or situation.

Another highly academic and professional usage is found in the construction 'von etwas ausgehen', which means 'to assume' or 'to proceed from an assumption'. This is ubiquitous in news broadcasts, scientific papers, and business meetings. When a politician says 'Wir gehen davon aus, dass...', they are stating their working hypothesis or expectation. Additionally, 'ausgehen' can describe the physical act of a light or a fire extinguishing itself. If the power fails, 'das Licht geht aus'. Finally, it can denote the origin or emanation of something, such as a scent, a danger, or an aura, using the preposition 'von'. For example, 'Von diesem Mann geht eine große Gefahr aus' means 'A great danger emanates from this man'.

Assumption

Using 'davon ausgehen' to express a strong belief or premise.

Extinguishing

Used for lights, fires, or electronic devices turning off automatically.

Emanation

Describing the source of a feeling, smell, or threat.

Mastering 'ausgehen' requires recognizing these distinct patterns and the specific prepositions or cases they demand. The social meaning is straightforward, but the depletion meaning requires a dative object, the assumption meaning requires the preposition 'von', and the conclusion meaning often uses adverbs like 'gut' or 'schlecht'. By compartmentalizing these usages, learners can significantly enrich their expressive capabilities in German. The verb's ability to transition from casual weekend plans to complex philosophical premises makes it a cornerstone of the German lexicon.

Grammatical Structure

Separable prefix 'aus-' + root verb 'gehen'. Forms the perfect tense with the auxiliary verb 'sein' (ist ausgegangen).

Using 'ausgehen' correctly is a matter of understanding its separable nature and the specific grammatical environments required by its various meanings. Because 'ausgehen' is a separable verb, the prefix 'aus' detaches from the stem 'gehen' and moves to the absolute end of the clause in simple tenses (Präsens and Präteritum) when used in a main clause. For example, 'Ich gehe heute Abend mit meinen Kollegen aus' (I am going out with my colleagues tonight). In subordinate clauses, however, the verb remains together at the end of the sentence: 'Er freut sich, weil er heute Abend ausgeht'. When forming the perfect tense, 'ausgehen' uses the auxiliary verb 'sein', not 'haben', because it denotes a change of state or motion. The past participle is 'ausgegangen'. Therefore, 'We went out yesterday' translates to 'Wir sind gestern ausgegangen'.

When using 'ausgehen' to mean 'to run out of something', the sentence structure flips compared to English. In English, you say 'I am running out of money', where 'I' is the subject. In German, the resource running out is the subject (nominative), and the person experiencing the shortage is the indirect object (dative). The correct formulation is 'Mir (dative) geht das Geld (nominative) aus'. This structure is highly counterintuitive for native English speakers but is absolutely standard in German. You can apply this to any depleting resource: 'Ihm geht die Geduld aus' (He is running out of patience), 'Uns gehen die Vorräte aus' (We are running out of supplies), or 'Der Firma gehen die Ideen aus' (The company is running out of ideas). Mastering this dative construction is a significant milestone for B1/B2 learners.

The meaning 'to assume' relies on the prepositional phrase 'von etwas (Dativ) ausgehen'. If you are referring to a noun, you use 'von' followed by the dative case: 'Ich gehe von einem Fehler aus' (I assume it's a mistake). If you are introducing a subordinate clause with 'dass' (that), you must use the pronominal adverb 'davon'. For example, 'Ich gehe davon aus, dass er pünktlich kommt' (I assume that he will arrive on time). This 'davon ausgehen' construction is extremely prevalent in formal, academic, and business German. It is the standard way to express a premise or a strong expectation without stating it as an absolute, undeniable fact. It softens a statement while still projecting confidence in the assumption.

When discussing the outcome of an event, 'ausgehen' is typically paired with adverbs of manner, most commonly 'gut' (well) or 'schlecht' (badly). 'Die Geschichte ist gut ausgegangen' means 'The story ended well'. You can also ask 'Wie ist es ausgegangen?' (How did it turn out/end?). In the context of technology and fire, 'ausgehen' simply means to turn off or extinguish by itself. 'Der Computer ist plötzlich ausgegangen' (The computer suddenly turned off). Note the difference between 'ausgehen' (turning off by itself) and 'ausschalten' or 'ausmachen' (to actively turn something off). You use 'ausgehen' when the action happens spontaneously or without direct, intentional human intervention at that exact moment. Finally, when describing an emanation, use 'ausgehen von' + Dativ: 'Von dem neuen Gesetz geht eine positive Signalwirkung aus' (A positive signaling effect emanates from the new law). This usage is highly elevated and mostly found in written German or formal speeches.

The verb 'ausgehen' permeates almost every layer of the German language, making it a word you will encounter in highly diverse environments, ranging from casual street slang to the most elevated academic discourse. In everyday social contexts, particularly among younger demographics and in urban centers like Berlin, Munich, or Vienna, 'ausgehen' is the standard term for participating in nightlife. You will hear it in casual conversations, text messages, and social media posts when people are planning their weekends. 'Gehen wir heute Abend aus?' is a ubiquitous Friday afternoon question. It encompasses everything from a quiet dinner to a night of intense clubbing. In this context, it is a friendly, inviting word that signals leisure and relaxation.

In domestic and everyday logistical situations, you will frequently hear the 'depletion' meaning of 'ausgehen'. In a supermarket, a customer might be told, 'Tut mir leid, die Milch ist uns ausgegangen' (I'm sorry, we've run out of milk). In a household, someone might shout from the bathroom, 'Das Toilettenpapier ist ausgegangen!' This usage is deeply practical and is heard constantly in the context of inventory, shopping, and managing daily resources. Similarly, in emotional or stressful situations, you will hear metaphorical uses of this depletion: 'Mir geht langsam die Geduld aus' (I am slowly running out of patience) is a common expression of frustration heard in workplaces, classrooms, and homes alike.

In professional, journalistic, and academic environments, the 'assumption' meaning ('davon ausgehen') takes center stage. If you watch the Tagesschau (the main German news program), you will almost certainly hear this phrase in every broadcast. Politicians use it to outline their strategies: 'Wir gehen davon aus, dass die Wirtschaft wachsen wird' (We assume the economy will grow). Scientists use it to state their hypotheses: 'Die Forscher gehen von einer Erwärmung aus' (The researchers assume a warming). Business leaders use it in forecasts: 'Wir gehen von einem starken Quartal aus'. It is the polite, professional way to state an expectation based on current data without making an absolute guarantee. It is a cornerstone of formal German rhetoric.

You will also hear 'ausgehen' in the context of storytelling, sports reporting, and entertainment. After a tense football match, commentators will discuss 'wie das Spiel ausgegangen ist' (how the game ended). When discussing a movie or a book, people will ask about the ending using this verb. Furthermore, in technical or emergency contexts, 'ausgehen' is used to describe failures. A mechanic might explain that 'der Motor ist während der Fahrt ausgegangen' (the engine died while driving). During a storm, neighbors might discuss how 'das Licht ausgegangen ist' (the power went out). Because its meanings are so varied, 'ausgehen' is a word that bridges the gap between the physical world (lights, engines, supplies), the social world (parties, dinners), and the intellectual world (assumptions, premises, origins).

Because 'ausgehen' has so many distinct meanings and grammatical requirements, it is a frequent source of errors for German learners. One of the most persistent mistakes occurs with the 'depletion' meaning (running out of something). Native English speakers naturally want to translate 'I am running out of money' directly, leading to the incorrect sentence 'Ich gehe aus von Geld' or 'Ich laufe aus von Geld'. The correct German structure requires a complete paradigm shift: the resource is the subject, and the person is the dative object. The correct sentence is 'Mir geht das Geld aus'. Failing to use the dative case or failing to make the resource the nominative subject is a classic hallmark of a beginner or intermediate learner. It takes significant practice to internalize this inverted structure.

Another major area of confusion is the choice of auxiliary verb in the perfect tense. Because 'ausgehen' translates to 'to assume' in some contexts, learners sometimes mistakenly treat it as a static mental process and try to use 'haben' for the perfect tense (e.g., 'Ich habe davon ausgegangen'). This is grammatically incorrect. Regardless of which meaning of 'ausgehen' is being used—whether it's socializing, running out of supplies, or assuming a premise—the verb always, without exception, takes 'sein' as its auxiliary verb in the perfect tense. You must say 'Ich bin davon ausgegangen', 'Das Geld ist ausgegangen', and 'Wir sind ausgegangen'. Forgetting the 'sein' auxiliary is a very common error that immediately flags the speaker as non-native.

Learners also frequently struggle with the prepositional requirements of the 'assumption' meaning. To say 'I assume that...', learners often try to translate 'assume' directly with verbs like 'annehmen' or 'vermuten', which is fine, but when they try to use 'ausgehen', they forget the required pronominal adverb 'davon'. Saying 'Ich gehe aus, dass...' is incorrect and sounds broken. It must be 'Ich gehe davon aus, dass...'. Furthermore, when assuming a noun rather than a clause, learners sometimes use the wrong preposition or the wrong case. It must be 'von' plus the dative case. Saying 'Ich gehe aus diesen Fehler' is wrong; it must be 'Ich gehe von diesem Fehler aus'. The inseparable bond between 'ausgehen', 'von', and the dative case in this context must be memorized as a single unit.

Finally, there is frequent semantic confusion between 'ausgehen' (to turn off by itself) and 'ausmachen' / 'ausschalten' (to turn something off actively). A learner might say 'Ich bin das Licht ausgegangen' when they mean 'I turned off the light'. This is entirely wrong. 'Ausgehen' is an intransitive process in this context; it happens to the subject. 'Das Licht geht aus' (The light goes out). If a person is performing the action, a transitive verb must be used: 'Ich mache das Licht aus' or 'Ich schalte das Licht aus'. Confusing the spontaneous, intransitive nature of 'ausgehen' with active, transitive verbs of extinguishing is a common lexical error. Understanding that 'ausgehen' describes the state of the object changing independently is key to avoiding this mistake.

Given the broad semantic spectrum of 'ausgehen', it has numerous synonyms and related words, each corresponding to one of its specific meanings. When 'ausgehen' is used in the sense of socializing or leaving the house for entertainment, the most direct synonyms are 'weggehen' (to go away/out) and 'feiern gehen' (to go partying). 'Weggehen' is slightly more general; it can mean simply leaving a place, but in the context of an evening, it is entirely synonymous with 'ausgehen'. 'Feiern gehen' is more specific, implying a night of drinking, dancing, or loud socializing, whereas 'ausgehen' could just be a quiet dinner. Another related term is 'sich amüsieren' (to enjoy oneself), which focuses on the emotional outcome of the evening rather than the physical act of leaving the house.

For the meaning of 'running out of something' (depletion), synonyms include 'zur Neige gehen' (to run low/dwindle), 'knapp werden' (to become scarce), and 'aufgebraucht werden' (to be used up). 'Zur Neige gehen' is a highly poetic and slightly elevated way of saying something is running out, often used for wine, time, or patience (e.g., 'Meine Geduld geht zur Neige'). 'Knapp werden' focuses on the scarcity rather than the total depletion. If you want to express that something is completely gone, you can use the adjective 'alle' in colloquial German: 'Das Brot ist alle' (The bread is gone), which is functionally equivalent to 'Das Brot ist uns ausgegangen', though 'alle' is much more informal and strictly spoken language.

When 'ausgehen' means 'to assume' (davon ausgehen), the primary synonyms are 'annehmen' (to assume/accept), 'vermuten' (to suspect/presume), and 'voraussetzen' (to presuppose/require). 'Annehmen' is the closest direct translation of 'to assume' and can often be used interchangeably with 'davon ausgehen', though 'davon ausgehen' sounds slightly more formal and grounded in a logical premise. 'Vermuten' carries a stronger sense of guessing or suspecting without hard evidence. 'Voraussetzen' is stronger; it means to take something as a necessary precondition. In academic and professional writing, alternating between 'davon ausgehen' and 'annehmen' is a good way to avoid repetitive vocabulary while maintaining a formal register.

For the meaning of an event concluding, synonyms include 'enden' (to end), 'ausklang finden' (to come to a close), and 'verlaufen' (to proceed/progress). 'Enden' is the most basic and direct synonym. You can say 'Der Film endet gut' just as you can say 'Der Film geht gut aus'. However, 'ausgehen' often carries a stronger connotation of the *result* or the *consequences* of the ending, whereas 'enden' simply states the fact of the conclusion. For lights or machines turning off, synonyms include 'erlöschen' (to extinguish/die out - very formal, used for fires or lights) and 'sich abschalten' (to switch itself off). Understanding these nuances allows a learner to choose the precise word for the desired tone, whether it's a casual chat about weekend plans or a formal academic dissertation.