das  Ausland

A2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈaʊsˌlant/

🌍 What does "das Ausland" mean?

Das Ausland (neuter gender) generally refers to all countries outside of one's own national borders. It's a collective term for foreign countries or territories beyond one's own country. It essentially means 'abroad' or 'foreign countries'.

It's often used in the context of travel, international politics, economics, or personal stays outside one's home country.

🚨 Important: "Das Ausland" is a noun and is capitalized in German. It is almost always used in the singular form because it's already a collective term. One does not speak of "die Ausländer" in the sense of countries; that term refers to people (foreigners).

📚 Grammar in Detail: Das Ausland

"Das Ausland" is a neuter noun. It is typically only used in the singular.

The plural form "die Ausländer" refers to people (foreigners), not countries. If you mean specific foreign countries, you need to name them or use phrases like "andere Länder" (other countries) or "fremde Länder" (foreign countries).

Example Sentences

• Viele Studenten verbringen ein Semester im Ausland. (Many students spend a semester abroad.) - Dative case
• Der Export ins Ausland ist gestiegen. (Exports abroad have increased.) - Accusative case (motion towards)
• Die Politik des Auslands beeinflusst uns oft. (The politics of foreign countries often influence us.) - Genitive case
• Das Ausland lockt mit neuen Kulturen. (Foreign countries attract with new cultures.) - Nominative case

🗣️ How to use "das Ausland"?

"Das Ausland" is used when referring to one or more places outside one's own country without being specific.

• Travel: "Wir fahren diesen Sommer ins Ausland." (We are traveling abroad this summer. - Destination is outside the home country)
• Living/Working: "Sie hat viele Jahre im Ausland gelebt." (She lived abroad for many years. - Location was outside the home country)
• Politics/Economics: "Die Beziehungen zum Ausland sind wichtig." (Relations with foreign countries are important.)
• Communication: "Ein Anruf ins Ausland kann teuer sein." (A call abroad can be expensive.)

Typical Prepositions:

• ins Ausland (to abroad, direction, Accusative): used with verbs like gehen (to go), fahren (to drive/travel), reisen (to travel), exportieren (to export), telefonieren (to phone)
• im Ausland (abroad / in foreign countries, location, Dative): used with verbs like sein (to be), leben (to live), arbeiten (to work), studieren (to study), sich befinden (to be located)
• aus dem Ausland (from abroad, origin, Dative): used with verbs like kommen (to come), importieren (to import), zurückkehren (to return)

⚠️ Do not confuse with der Ausländer / die Ausländerin (male/female foreigner).

🧠 Mnemonics for "das Ausland"

For the article (das): Remember das Land (the country). "Ausland" is just what's outside (Aus-) of das Land. The article stays the same: das Ausland. Think of 'das' as the neutral space outside your own land.

For the meaning: Imagine standing at the border of your Land (country). Everything you see out (Aus-) there is das Ausland (abroad / foreign countries).

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms for "das Ausland"

⚠️ Similar, but different words:

• Der Ausländer / Die Ausländerin / Die Ausländer (plural): foreigner(s) - people who do not have the citizenship of the country they are in. Don't confuse with das Ausland (the places/countries).

😄 A Little Joke

Der Lehrer fragt: "Fritzchen, nenne mir fünf Tiere, die im Ausland leben."
Fritzchen: "Ein Bär und vier Löwen!"

Translation:
The teacher asks: "Freddy, name five animals that live abroad."
Freddy: "One bear and four lions!" (A play on words/simple answer, common in German 'Fritzchen' jokes)

📜 Poem about das Ausland

Das Ausland ruft, so fern, so weit,
Mit fremder Sprache, anderer Zeit.
Man reist hinaus, verlässt das Land,
Hält neue Pässe in der Hand.

Kulturen locken, bunt und neu,
Man bleibt vielleicht, ist nicht mehr scheu.
Doch zieht's zurück oft, irgendwann,
Ins Inland, wo alles begann.

Translation:
Abroad calls, so far, so wide,
With foreign language, different tide.
One travels out, leaves the land behind,
Holding new passports of a different kind.

Cultures attract, colorful and new,
Perhaps one stays, no longer shy or blue.
But often the pull returns, someday,
Back home (Inland), where it all began to play.

🧩 Little Riddle

Ich bin kein Mensch, doch hab viel Raum,
Bin jenseits deiner Grenzen, wie ein Traum.
Man reist zu mir für Job und Spaß,
Mein Gegenteil ist heimisch, merk dir das!

Was bin ich?

Translation:
I am not a person, but have much space,
I am beyond your borders, like a dream's embrace.
People travel to me for work and fun,
My opposite is domestic, remember this one!

What am I?

Solution: Das Ausland (Abroad / Foreign Countries)

✨ Other Information

Word Composition

The word "Ausland" is composed of:

• aus: preposition/prefix, here meaning 'outside' or 'out'
• Land: noun meaning 'country' or 'land'

So it literally means "the land outside".

Cultural Note

The term "Ausland" can be neutral (geographically, economically) depending on the context, but it can also imply a certain distance or foreignness. The perception of what constitutes "Ausland" is always relative to the speaker's standpoint (their own country).