das  Aus

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ʔaʊs/

🏁 What does "das Aus" mean?

Das Aus (noun, neuter) generally refers to an end, a conclusion, or a termination. It can relate to various situations:

• In sports: The area outside the boundaries of the playing field. If a ball or player touches or crosses this area, they are "im Aus" (out of bounds). The end of a game or competition (e.g., a team's elimination) can also be called "das Aus".
• General use: The end of a relationship, a situation, an opportunity, or a technical function.

It is the nominalization (making a noun) of the preposition/adverb aus (out, from).

🧐 Grammar Spotlight: das Aus

"Aus" as a noun is neuter: das Aus. It is mostly used in the singular. The plural "die Aus" is rare and usually refers to multiple specific endpoints or situations of elimination (e.g., in a tournament).

Declension Singular

Declension Plural - Rare

💡 Example Sentences

1. Der Ball landete im Aus. (The ball landed out of bounds.)
2. Das bedeutete das Aus für ihre Karrierepläne. (That meant the end for her career plans.)
3. Nach dem dritten Tor war das Aus für die Heimmannschaft besiegelt. (After the third goal, the end/elimination was sealed for the home team.)
4. Ein technischer Defekt führte zum Aus der Maschine. (A technical defect led to the machine's failure/shutdown.)
5. Sie verkraftete das plötzliche Aus ihrer Beziehung nur schwer. (She had a hard time coping with the sudden end of her relationship.)

🎯 How to use "das Aus"?

"Das Aus" is often used in fixed phrases or specific contexts:

• In Sports: Very common to indicate something is outside the playing field boundaries ("Der Ball ist im Aus" - The ball is out, "ins Aus spielen" - to play out of bounds) or that a participant has been eliminated ("Das Aus im Viertelfinale" - The elimination in the quarter-finals).
• Relationships/Careers: Often signals an abrupt or definitive end ("das Aus für die Beziehung" - the end for the relationship, "das berufliche Aus" - the professional end/ruin).
• Technology/Processes: Refers to the end of functionality or the stopping of a process ("das Aus für den Verbrennungsmotor" - the end for the combustion engine).
• Idioms: "Aus und vorbei" emphasizes finality (over and done with). "Vor dem Aus stehen" means to be close to the end or failure (to face the end/elimination).

It carries a strong connotation of finality, and often also of failure or loss.

🧠 Mnemonics to Remember

Article Aid: Think of the end. In German, "das Ende" is neuter. "Aus" often means just that: the end, so it's das Aus.

Meaning Aid: Imagine you're playing soccer (Fußball) and the ball flies way outside the line. The referee shouts: "Aus!" The ball is out of play, it's im Aus. The game is over / paused at this point.

↔️ Opposites and Similarities

⚠️ Caution, risk of confusion!

"Aus" is also a very common preposition (e.g., "Ich komme aus Deutschland" - I come from Germany) and an adverb (e.g., "Das Licht ist aus" - The light is off). Pay attention to the context and capitalization: Only the noun "das Aus" is capitalized.

😂 A Little Joke

Fragt der Trainer den Schiedsrichter: "Ist der Ball jetzt wirklich im Aus?"
Sagt der Schiedsrichter: "Ganz sicher. Er hat mir gerade noch eine Postkarte von dort geschickt!"

Translation:

The coach asks the referee: "Is the ball really out of bounds now?"
Says the referee: "Absolutely. It just sent me a postcard from there!"

✍️ Poem about 'das Aus'

Ein Pfiff ertönt, das Spiel ist halt, der Ball flog weit, ins dunkle Wald? Nein, nur drei Meter neben dran, doch zählt's als Aus, so will's der Plan. Für Spieler, Ball und Hoffnung klein, bedeutet dies: Es muss nicht sein. Das Ende naht, die Chance flieht, wenn man den Ball im Aus nur sieht.

Translation:

A whistle blows, the game halts now, The ball flew far, to forest bough? No, just three meters off the side, But counts as Out, the rules decide. For player, ball, and hopes so small, This means: it need not be at all. The end draws near, the chance takes flight, When seeing the ball Out of sight (of play).

❓ Little Riddle

Ich bin das Ende, oft abrupt, im Sport bin ich, wo man den Ball nicht stupst. Bin ich gekommen, ist's vorbei, für Traum, für Spiel, für allerlei. Was bin ich?

Translation:

I am the end, often abrupt, In sports, I'm where the ball's not tapped. When I have come, it's over then, For dreams, for games, for all things, friend. What am I?

Solution: Das Aus (The End / Out of Bounds)

ℹ️ Other Information

Word Formation: "Das Aus" is a classic example of nominalization (Substantivierung) in German. Here, the preposition or adverb "aus" (like in "aus dem Haus gehen" - to go out of the house or "Licht aus" - light off) was turned into a noun to name the concept of the end or the state of being outside boundaries.

Fixed Phrases (Feste Wendungen):

• Aus und vorbei: Over and done with; finally finished.
• Das ist das Aus für...: That means the end for...
• Ins Aus geraten: To get into a bad, hopeless situation (figurative) or to play the ball out of bounds (literal).
• Vor dem Aus stehen: To be facing the end, failure, or elimination.