sich ausbreiten
To spread
Literalmente: to broaden oneself out
Use it when something—like a smell, news, or a person—gradually occupies more and more space.
En 15 segundos
- To expand or cover more physical or abstract space.
- Requires a reflexive pronoun (sich) and is a separable verb.
- Used for smells, news, diseases, or people taking up room.
Significado
Think of it like something unfolding or expanding to fill a space. It describes when an object, a feeling, a smell, or even a rumor starts in one spot and grows to cover a much larger area.
Ejemplos clave
3 de 6Complaining to a roommate
Du breitest dich mit deinem ganzen Kram in der Küche aus!
You're spreading out with all your stuff in the kitchen!
At a bakery
Der Duft von frischem Brot breitet sich im Laden aus.
The scent of fresh bread is spreading through the shop.
In a business meeting
Unser Unternehmen will sich auf dem europäischen Markt ausbreiten.
Our company wants to expand into the European market.
Contexto cultural
In Germany, the concept of 'Privatsphäre' (privacy) and personal space is highly guarded. Using this phrase often carries a slight undertone of 'taking up too much room,' reflecting the cultural value placed on efficiency and not bothering others in shared spaces.
The Butter Trap
Never use 'sich ausbreiten' for spreading butter on bread. You'll sound like you're describing a biological invasion. Use 'streichen' instead!
The Towel Rule
In Germany, 'sich ausbreiten' is often used to describe people who take up more than their fair share of public space. It's a common social complaint!
En 15 segundos
- To expand or cover more physical or abstract space.
- Requires a reflexive pronoun (sich) and is a separable verb.
- Used for smells, news, diseases, or people taking up room.
What It Means
Imagine you are at a picnic. You put down a blanket. Then you put down your bag. Then your shoes. Then your snacks. Soon, you have taken over the whole grass area. That is sich ausbreiten. It is when something moves from a small point to cover a larger area. It is not just for physical things, though. A smell can do it. A rumor can do it. Even a feeling of calm can sich ausbreiten in a room. It is about occupying space that was previously empty or occupied by something else. It feels like a gradual, steady expansion.
How To Use It
This is a reflexive verb, so you always need that little sich. It is also separable. That means the aus part flies to the end of the sentence like a frisbee. For example: Der Duft breitet sich in der Küche aus. (The scent spreads in the kitchen). If you are talking about yourself, you would say: Ich breite mich auf dem Sofa aus. (I am spreading out on the sofa). In the past tense, it becomes hat sich ausgebreitet. Just remember to match the sich to the person you are talking about! It is a B1 level staple because it shows you understand how reflexive and separable verbs work together.
When To Use It
You will hear this a lot in the news. Think about a forest fire or a flu virus. Those things breiten sich aus. It is also perfect for social situations. If your roommate’s laundry is taking over the living room, they are sich ausbreiten. You can use it for abstract things too. Maybe a feeling of panic is spreading in a crowd. Or maybe a new fashion trend is spreading across the city. It is a very versatile word for anything that grows, expands, or takes up more room than it did five minutes ago.
When NOT To Use It
Be careful! Do not use this for your morning toast. If you are putting butter or jam on bread, the word is streichen. Using sich ausbreiten there would sound like the butter is a sentient being trying to conquer your kitchen. Also, if you are physically unfolding something—like a map or a towel—you just use ausbreiten without the sich. The sich makes it about the thing *itself* doing the spreading. Finally, do not use it for "spreading your legs" in a physical exercise context; that is usually spreizen.
Cultural Background
Germans are famous for their love of order and personal space. There is a reason for the stereotype of Germans reserving sun loungers with towels at 6 AM! That is a classic case of sich ausbreiten. In public transport, people usually try to stay within their own "bubble." If you breitest dich aus on a crowded U-Bahn by putting your bag on the seat next to you, you might get some very polite but firm throat-clearing from your neighbors. It is all about respecting the shared space.
Common Variations
You might also see verbreiten. This is very similar but usually used for information, news, or smells. Think of verbreiten as "distributing" and ausbreiten as "expanding." Then there is ausdehnen, which means to expand or stretch out, often used for business or physical materials. Finally, if a fire or a disease is spreading rapidly and dangerously, Germans use the phrase um sich greifen, which literally means "to grab around itself." It sounds much more dramatic and urgent than a simple expansion!
Notas de uso
The verb is neutral and can be used in any setting. Just be careful with the reflexive pronoun; if you forget it, the meaning changes from 'expanding' to 'unfolding an object'.
The Butter Trap
Never use 'sich ausbreiten' for spreading butter on bread. You'll sound like you're describing a biological invasion. Use 'streichen' instead!
The Towel Rule
In Germany, 'sich ausbreiten' is often used to describe people who take up more than their fair share of public space. It's a common social complaint!
Separable Power
Remember: in a normal sentence, 'aus' goes to the very end. 'Die Panik breitet sich schnell AUS.' Don't let it get stuck in the middle!
Ejemplos
6Du breitest dich mit deinem ganzen Kram in der Küche aus!
You're spreading out with all your stuff in the kitchen!
Used here to express mild annoyance at someone taking up too much space.
Der Duft von frischem Brot breitet sich im Laden aus.
The scent of fresh bread is spreading through the shop.
A very common way to describe smells filling a room.
Unser Unternehmen will sich auf dem europäischen Markt ausbreiten.
Our company wants to expand into the European market.
In business, it refers to market expansion or growth.
Das Gerücht über die Party hat sich total schnell ausgebreitet.
The rumor about the party spread really quickly.
Perfect for news or gossip moving through a social circle.
Ein Gefühl der Angst breitete sich im Kino aus.
A feeling of fear spread through the cinema.
Used for abstract emotions or atmospheres.
Er breitet sich auf zwei Liegestühlen aus, wie ein König.
He's spreading himself out over two sun loungers like a king.
A humorous take on someone being greedy with space.
Ponte a prueba
Fill in the correct reflexive pronoun and verb form for 'wir'.
Wir ___ ___ im Wohnzimmer ___.
Since the subject is 'wir', the reflexive pronoun must be 'uns', and the verb 'ausbreiten' is separable.
Which word fits best for a virus spreading?
Das Virus ___ sich in der Stadt ___.
'Ausbreiten' is the standard verb for the physical or biological spread of a disease.
🎉 Puntuación: /2
Ayudas visuales
Formality of 'sich ausbreiten'
Complaining about a messy roommate.
Du breitest dich hier echt aus!
Describing a smell or news.
Der Nebel breitet sich aus.
Scientific or business reports.
Die Infektion breitet sich weiter aus.
When to use 'sich ausbreiten'
Physical Space
Luggage on a train seat
Nature
Forest fire or fog
Information
A juicy rumor
Senses
Smell of pizza
Health
The flu in winter
Preguntas frecuentes
12 preguntas'Ausbreiten' without 'sich' means you are unfolding something (like a map). 'Sich ausbreiten' means the thing itself is expanding or occupying space.
Yes, it works well for news or rumors, though sich verbreiten is also very common for information.
It can be. If you say Du breitest dich zu sehr aus, you are telling them they are taking up too much room.
It uses 'haben' as the auxiliary verb. Example: Die Krankheit hat sich ausgebreitet.
Absolutely. It is the perfect verb for a scent filling a house, like Kaffeeduft breitet sich aus.
Yes, companies use it to talk about expanding into new markets or regions.
Sich ausdehnen is more about physical stretching or thermal expansion, while sich ausbreiten is about covering area.
Yes, if a plant is taking over your garden, you can say Das Unkraut breitet sich aus.
Yes, it is very common for forest fires: Das Feuer breitet sich nach Norden aus.
Only if the subject is the thing doing the expanding. If you are the one doing the spreading of an object, drop the 'sich'.
Yes, you can say Das Licht breitet sich im Raum aus to describe a room brightening.
The phrase sich wie ein Lauffeuer ausbreiten means to spread like wildfire.
Frases relacionadas
sich verbreiten (to spread/circulate information)
um sich greifen (to spread uncontrollably)
sich ausdehnen (to expand/stretch)
platznehmen (to take a seat/occupy space)
streichen (to spread butter/paint)
Comentarios (0)
Inicia Sesión para ComentarEmpieza a aprender idiomas gratis
Empieza Gratis