The Many Meanings of the German Word “aus“307

The German word "aus" is a versatile preposition that can be used in a variety of ways. It can mean "out of," "from," "of," "on," "at," "in," "by," "with," "through," or "because of." It can also be used as an adverb meaning "out" or "away." In this article, we will explore the many meanings of "aus" and provide examples of how it is used in context.

"Aus" meaning "out of"

The most common meaning of "aus" is "out of." It can be used to indicate that something is coming from or leaving a particular place or container. For example:
Der Zug fährt aus dem Bahnhof ab. (The train departs from the station.)
Ich hole das Buch aus dem Regal. (I get the book from the shelf.)
Die Milch ist aus der Flasche ausgelaufen. (The milk spilled out of the bottle.)

"Aus" meaning "from"

"Aus" can also be used to indicate that something originates from a particular place or person. For example:
Ich komme aus Deutschland. (I am from Germany.)
Das stammt aus dem 19. Jahrhundert. (This is from the 19th century.)
Die Nachricht stammt aus zuverlässiger Quelle. (The news comes from a reliable source.)

"Aus" meaning "of"

"Aus" can be used to indicate that something is made of a particular material or substance. For example:
Das Haus ist aus Holz. (The house is made of wood.)
Der Tisch ist aus Marmor. (The table is made of marble.)
Der Kuchen ist aus Schokolade. (The cake is made of chocolate.)

"Aus" meaning "on"

"Aus" can be used to indicate that something is located on a particular surface or object. For example:
Die Uhr liegt auf dem Tisch aus. (The watch is lying on the table.)
Das Bild hängt an der Wand aus. (The picture is hanging on the wall.)
Der Teppich liegt auf dem Boden aus. (The carpet is lying on the floor.)

"Aus" meaning "at"

"Aus" can be used to indicate that something is happening at a particular time or place. For example:
Ich bin um 8 Uhr aus dem Haus gegangen. (I left the house at 8 o'clock.)
Die Konferenz findet am 10. Mai aus. (The conference will take place on May 10th.)
Wir treffen uns um 14 Uhr im Café aus. (We will meet at the café at 2 o'clock.)

"Aus" meaning "in"

"Aus" can be used to indicate that something is located within a particular space or container. For example:
Die Katze sitzt in der Kiste aus. (The cat is sitting in the box.)
Das Buch liegt in der Tasche aus. (The book is lying in the bag.)
Das Wasser ist im Glas aus. (The water is in the glass.)

"Aus" meaning "by"

"Aus" can be used to indicate that something is done by a particular person or thing. For example:
Das Buch wurde von Goethe geschrieben. (The book was written by Goethe.)
Das Auto wurde von meinem Vater repariert. (The car was repaired by my father.)
Die Arbeit wurde von mir erledigt. (The work was done by me.)

"Aus" meaning "with"

"Aus" can be used to indicate that something is done with a particular tool or instrument. For example:
Ich schneide das Papier mit einer Schere aus. (I cut the paper with scissors.)
Ich schreibe den Brief mit einem Stift aus. (I write the letter with a pen.)
Ich esse das Obst mit einer Gabel aus. (I eat the fruit with a fork.)

"Aus" meaning "through"

"Aus" can be used to indicate that something passes through a particular space or object. For example:
Der Fluss fließt durch die Stadt aus. (The river flows through the city.)
Der Wind weht durch das Fenster aus. (The wind is blowing through the window.)
Der Pfeil flog durch die Luft aus. (The arrow flew through the air.)

"Aus" meaning "because of"

"Aus" can be used to indicate that something happens because of a particular reason or cause. For example:
Ich bin krank, aus dem Grund kann ich nicht zur Arbeit gehen. (I am sick, because of that I cannot go to work.)
Das Projekt wurde aus finanziellen Gründen abgebrochen. (The project was canceled due to financial reasons.)
Aus Mangel an Zeit konnte ich die Aufgabe nicht erledigen. (I could not complete the task due to lack of time.)

"Aus" as an adverb

In addition to its various meanings as a preposition, "aus" can also be used as an adverb meaning "out" or "away." For example:
Geh aus! (Get out!)
Das Licht ist aus. (The light is off.)
Die Tür ist aus. (The door is open.)

Conclusion

The German word "aus" is a versatile and useful preposition that can be used in a

2024-10-29

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