die  Ausfahrt

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈaʊsˌfaʁt/

🚗 What does "die Ausfahrt" mean?

The word die Ausfahrt (feminine) has several meanings:

• Road traffic: The place where you leave a motorway (Autobahn), expressway (Schnellstraße), or roundabout (Kreisverkehr). Example: "Nehmen Sie die nächste Ausfahrt Richtung Zentrum." (Take the next exit towards the city center.)
• Building/Premises: The way or opening through which you leave grounds, a parking garage (Parkhaus), an underground car park (Tiefgarage), or a property with a vehicle. Example: "Die Ausfahrt des Parkhauses ist schlecht ausgeschildert." (The exit of the parking garage is poorly signposted.)
• (Short) trip/drive: A short drive or outing, usually for recreation or a specific purpose. Example: "Wir machen am Sonntag eine kleine Ausfahrt ins Grüne." (We're going for a little drive into the countryside on Sunday.)

🚨 Attention: Don't confuse die Ausfahrt with die Abfahrt (departure, ski run) or der Ausgang (exit for pedestrians).

The Grammar of "Ausfahrt" 🧐

Die Ausfahrt is a feminine noun. Here is its declension:

Declension Singular

Declension Plural

Example Sentences 📝

• Nominative: Die Ausfahrt war leicht zu finden. (The exit was easy to find.)
• Genitive: Wegen der Ausfahrt mussten wir abbremsen. (Because of the exit, we had to slow down.)
• Dative: Folge dem Schild zu der Ausfahrt. (Follow the sign to the exit.)
• Accusative: Ich habe die Ausfahrt verpasst. (I missed the exit.)
• Plural: Auf dieser Autobahn gibt es viele Ausfahrten. (There are many exits on this motorway.)

How to use "die Ausfahrt"? 🧭

Die Ausfahrt is primarily used in contexts related to vehicles and leaving places:

• In road traffic: Very common on motorways (Autobahnen) and expressways (Schnellstraßen). Signs indicate the next Ausfahrt. Example: "Die nächste Ausfahrt ist Nummer 15." (The next exit is number 15.)
• For buildings/properties: Used for parking garages (Parkhäuser), underground car parks (Tiefgaragen), courtyards (Höfe), or company premises (Firmengelände). Example: "Bitte blockieren Sie nicht die Ausfahrt!" (Please do not block the exit!)
• As a leisure activity: Less common, but possible for short, casual drives. Example: "Eine sonntägliche Ausfahrt mit dem Oldtimer." (A Sunday drive/outing with the classic car.)

Important Distinctions:

• vs. Einfahrt: Die Einfahrt is the opposite – the place where you drive in (entry or entrance for vehicles).
• vs. Abfahrt: Die Abfahrt typically refers to the time of departure for a trip or a ski slope (departure). It is sometimes used synonymously for a motorway exit, but Ausfahrt is more precise.
• vs. Ausgang: Der Ausgang is the exit for pedestrians, not vehicles.

Memory Aids for "die Ausfahrt" 🤔

Article Mnemonic (die):

Many German nouns ending in -t related to movement or abstract concepts derived from verbs are feminine (like die Fahrt - the drive/trip, die Sicht - the sight/view). Think: you take 'the' drive out of a place – it's die Ausfahrt. The word Fahrt itself is feminine, and adding Aus- doesn't change the gender.

Meaning Mnemonic:

Imagine driving your car OUT (German: aus) of a parking garage or off the Autobahn. The place where you make this 'drive out' (German: Fahrt) is the Ausfahrt. Literally: Aus (out) + Fahrt (drive) = driving out / exit.

Synonyms & Antonyms for "Ausfahrt" ↔️

⚠️ Caution: These words are often context-dependent and not always interchangeable.

A Little Joke 😄

German: Fragt der Fahrlehrer: "Was machen Sie, wenn Sie die Autobahn-Ausfahrt verpasst haben?" Fahrschüler: "Keine Panik, ich nehme einfach die nächste Einfahrt rückwärts!" 😜

English: The driving instructor asks: "What do you do if you miss the motorway exit?" Driving student: "No panic, I'll just take the next entrance in reverse!" 😜

Poem about the Ausfahrt 📜

German:
Die Straße lang, Kilometer ziehen,
Schilder weisen, wohin wir fliehen.
Dann leuchtet sie auf, hell und klar,
Die Ausfahrt ist endlich da! Raus aus dem Strom, dem schnellen Lauf,
Ein neuer Weg tut sich nun auf.

English:
Along the road, kilometers fly,
Signs show where we should hie.
Then it lights up, bright and clear,
The exit (die Ausfahrt) is finally here!
Out of the flow, the rapid race,
A new path opens in this place.

A Little Riddle 🤔

German:
Ich bin ein Weg, doch führ' nicht hin,
sondern von Autobahn und Parkhaus bin
ich oft das Tor zur weiten Welt,
wenn dein Gefährt hindurch sich quält.

Was bin ich? Lösung: die Ausfahrt

English:
I am a way, but don't lead to,
Instead, from motorways and car parks, through
me is often the gate to the world outside,
when your vehicle through me does ride.

What am I? Answer: die Ausfahrt (the exit)

Further Information 🤓

Word Composition:

The word Ausfahrt is a compound noun, composed of:

• Preposition/Prefix aus (indicating movement from inside to outside, out)
• Noun die Fahrt (the drive, journey, trip)

So, literally, an 'out-drive'.

Cultural Note:

The concept of a clearly marked Ausfahrt is very prominent in the German Autobahn system (and similar systems worldwide) and crucial for navigation.