die  Ausprägung

C1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈaʊsˌpʁɛːɡʊŋ/

🧐 What does "die Ausprägung" mean?

Die Ausprägung (noun, feminine) describes the specific form, type, or manner in which something appears, develops, or is expressed. It often refers to a characteristic feature, a manifestation, or a particular variant of something.

• Concrete form/shape: The external appearance or form (e.g., die Ausprägung eines Musters - the manifestation/form of a pattern).
• Characteristic/feature: A specific quality or trait (e.g., die Ausprägung eines Persönlichkeitszugs - the manifestation/expression of a personality trait).
• Manifestation/development: The way something develops or shows itself (e.g., die Ausprägung einer Krankheit - the manifestation of a disease).

It derives from the verb "ausprägen", which originally meant "to mint (coins)" but is used figuratively to mean "to shape", "to form", or "to develop".

Article rules for der, die, and das

📝 Grammar in Detail: die Ausprägung

"Ausprägung" is a feminine noun. The article is die.

Example Sentences

1. Die Ausprägung seiner künstlerischen Ader war schon früh erkennbar.
   (The manifestation/expression of his artistic streak was noticeable early on.)
2. Man untersuchte die verschiedenen Ausprägungen des Syndroms.
   (The various manifestations/forms of the syndrome were investigated.)
3. Je nach Umweltbedingungen kann die Ausprägung eines Merkmals variieren.
   (Depending on environmental conditions, the expression/manifestation of a trait can vary.)
4. Wir analysieren die Ausprägung der Kundenzufriedenheit in verschiedenen Regionen.
   (We are analyzing the manifestation/level of customer satisfaction in different regions.)

💡 How to use "Ausprägung"?

"Ausprägung" is often used in more formal, scientific, or descriptive contexts to describe the specific form or manifestation of something.

• Science & Research: Describing phenotypes, symptoms, features (e.g., die verschiedenen Ausprägungen einer genetischen Mutation - the different manifestations of a genetic mutation).
• Psychology: Describing personality traits, behaviors (e.g., die individuelle Ausprägung von Introversion - the individual manifestation/degree of introversion).
• Sociology & Economics: Analyzing trends, patterns, forms (e.g., die regionale Ausprägung der Arbeitslosigkeit - the regional pattern/manifestation of unemployment).
• General: When wanting to emphasize the particular type or form of something (e.g., seine Großzügigkeit zeigte sich in vielfältigen Ausprägungen - his generosity showed itself in diverse forms/manifestations).

Distinction from similar words:

• Merkmal (feature/trait): More of a single, specific characteristic. "Ausprägung" often describes *how* this characteristic appears.
• Eigenschaft (quality/property): Similar to Merkmal, often more inherent.
• Form (form/shape): Can be more concrete (external shape), while "Ausprägung" can also be more abstract.
• Manifestation (manifestation): Very similar, emphasizes the becoming visible or apparent.

One often speaks of "verschiedene" (different), "unterschiedliche" (varying), "starke" (strong), "schwache" (weak), or "spezifische" (specific) Ausprägungen.

🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids

For the article (die): Think of the ending "-ung". Nouns ending in "-ung" in German are almost always feminine, hence die Ausprägung. Like "die Rechnung" (the bill) or "die Bedeutung" (the meaning).

For the meaning: Imagine something being "pressed out" (aus-prägen) – it takes on a specific shape or form, its visible Ausprägung (manifestation/characteristic). It's how something is outwardly *expressed* or *shaped*.

🔄 Synonyms and Antonyms

⚠️ Be careful with similar words: "Prägnanz" means conciseness and accuracy of expression, not the form itself.

😂 A Little Joke

Warum sind Mathematiker schlecht darin, Persönlichkeiten zu beschreiben?
Weil sie immer nur nach der rationalen Ausprägung suchen! 😉

(Why are mathematicians bad at describing personalities?
Because they always only look for the *rational* expression/manifestation!)

📜 Poem about Ausprägung

Im Kern die Idee, das reine Sein,
doch draußen zeigt sich's, fein und klein,
in jeder Form, in jedem Zug,
des Lebens bunter Musterflug.
Mal sanft, mal stark, mal klar, mal vage,
die Ausprägung, Tag für Tage,
gestaltet Welt und Ich und Du,
schaut man nur aufmerksam zu.

(At the core the idea, pure being,
but outside it shows, fine and small,
in every form, in every trait,
life's colorful pattern-flight.
Sometimes gentle, sometimes strong, sometimes clear, sometimes vague,
the manifestation, day by day,
shapes world and me and you,
if one just watches closely.)

🧩 Riddle

Ich bin kein Ding, doch hab' 'ne Form,
entspreche oft der Norm.
Ich zeige, wie ein Merkmal ist,
ob du es schnell vergisst
oder ob es deutlich steht.
Man mich in Studien seht,
wie etwas sich entwickelt hat,
in Mensch, Natur und Stadt.

Was bin ich?
(Lösung: die Ausprägung)

(I am not a thing, yet have a form,
often conform to the norm.
I show what a feature is like,
whether you quickly forget it
or whether it stands out clearly.
You see me in studies,
how something has developed,
in humans, nature, and city.)

(What am I?
Answer: die Ausprägung / the manifestation/characteristic)

✨ More Information

Word Composition:

The word "Ausprägung" is a nominalization (noun formation) of the verb "ausprägen".

• aus- (prefix, emphasizes direction outward, emergence)
• prägen (verb: to shape, form, imprint, originally from minting coins)
• -ung (suffix used to form feminine nouns from verbs, often denoting a process or its result)

The original meaning of "prägen" (like with coins) often still resonates: something receives a distinct, almost imprinted form or characteristic.