die  Ausgangsposition

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈaʊsˌɡaŋsˌpoziˈt͡si̯oːn/

🎯 What exactly is an Ausgangsposition?

The German word die Ausgangsposition (noun, feminine) refers to the point, place, or state from which something begins or is started. It's the starting point of a movement, process, development, or even an argument.

• Physical: The location where someone or something is at the beginning (e.g., in sports, in a race).
• Figurative: The initial situation or basis before changes occur (e.g., in negotiations, projects, discussions).

Because the word ends in "-ion" and is derived from "Position" (feminine), the article is always die. There are no other articles for this word. 🚨

📐 Grammar in Detail: The Declension

The word "Ausgangsposition" is a feminine noun. The plural is "die Ausgangspositionen".

💡 Examples from Life

1. Der Läufer kehrte zur Ausgangsposition zurück.
   (The runner returned to the starting position.)
2. Unsere Ausgangsposition für die Verhandlungen ist nicht ideal.
   (Our starting position for the negotiations is not ideal.)
3. Definieren wir zunächst die Ausgangsposition des Problems.
   (Let's first define the initial position/premise of the problem.)
4. Aus dieser Ausgangsposition heraus entwickelten sich neue Ideen.
   (New ideas developed from this starting point.)

🗣️ How to Use die Ausgangsposition

"Die Ausgangsposition" is often used in contexts where a clearly defined starting point is important.

• Sports: The starting line or the prescribed posture before beginning an exercise ("Nehmen Sie die Ausgangsposition ein." - Take the starting position.).
• Projects & Planning: The state at the beginning of an undertaking ("Die Analyse der Ausgangsposition ergab mehrere Risiken." - The analysis of the initial situation revealed several risks.).
• Negotiations & Discussions: The initial standpoint or demands of a party ("Die Gewerkschaft hat ihre Ausgangsposition dargelegt." - The union has presented its initial position.).
• Logic & Mathematics: The initial conditions or assumptions of a problem.

Comparison:

• Startpunkt: Similar, but often more concrete, referring to a physical place or time.
• Anfang: More general for the beginning of something.
• Basis: More like the foundation on which something is built, not necessarily the temporal start.

"Ausgangsposition" often sounds a bit more formal or technical than "Startpunkt" or "Anfang".

🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids

↔️ Opposites and Alternative Words

⚠️ Caution: "Ausgangslage" describes the general conditions at the start, while "Ausgangsposition" refers more specifically to the point or standpoint.

😄 A Little Joke to Start

Warum war der Mathematiker immer entspannt bei der Arbeit?

Er kannte immer seine Ausgangsposition! 😄

(Why was the mathematician always relaxed at work? Because he always knew his starting position!)

📜 A Poem about Position

Am Start, ganz klar und rein,
muss die Ausgangsposition sein.
Von hier beginnt die Reise,
auf leise oder laute Weise.

Ob im Sport, im Plan, im Denken,
man muss den Startpunkt ihr schenken.
Die Position, von der man geht,
bevor der Wind des Wandels weht.

(At the start, quite clear and pure,
the starting position must endure.
From here the journey takes its flight,
in silent ways or ways of might.

In sports, in plans, in thought's domain,
one must grant it the starting lane.
The position whence one takes one's leave,
before the winds of change do weave.)

❓ Little Riddle

Ich bin der Punkt, wo alles startet,
auf den man oft gespannt schon wartet.
Im Sport, im Spiel, bei manchem Plan,
ich zeige, wo es anfing, an.

Wie heiß ich? (... Die Ausgangsposition)

(I am the point where all takes flight,
for which one often waits with might.
In sports, in games, in many a plan,
I show where it all began.

What am I?
... Die Ausgangsposition / The starting position)

🧩 A Few More Details on die Ausgangsposition

Word Composition

The word is a compound noun, composed of:

• Ausgang: Noun (der Ausgang - exit, start, outcome)
• -s-: Interfix (linking sound)
• Position: Noun (die Position - position)

Together, the meaning is "starting position" or "position from which one departs".

Stylistic Note

"Ausgangsposition" tends to be used in more formal or technical language. In everyday conversation, people might often just say "Start" or "Anfang" (start, beginning).