ausmachen
To turn off
Literalmente: out make
Use `ausmachen` for anything with a switch or flame that you want to stop.
Em 15 segundos
- Use it for lights, electronics, and small fires.
- It is a separable verb; 'aus' goes to the end.
- Essential for the German habit of saving energy.
Significado
This is the most common way to say 'turn off' in German. You use it for anything with a switch, like lights, the TV, or even the stove.
Exemplos-chave
3 de 6Leaving the room
Ich mache das Licht aus.
I am turning the light off.
Asking a roommate
Kannst du bitte die Musik ausmachen?
Can you please turn the music off?
In a formal meeting
Bitte machen Sie Ihre Handys aus.
Please turn off your mobile phones.
Contexto cultural
The phrase reflects the German cultural value of 'Sparsamkeit' (thriftiness). Saving electricity is seen as both environmentally responsible and financially smart, making this one of the most frequently used verbs in a German household.
The 'End' Rule
Always remember that 'aus' is like a caboose on a train; it must go to the very end of your sentence unless you have another verb pushing it.
Don't 'ausmachen' the Door
If you say 'Ich mache die Tür aus,' Germans will look at you confused. They will think you are trying to find a power switch on a wooden door! Use 'zumachen' for doors.
Em 15 segundos
- Use it for lights, electronics, and small fires.
- It is a separable verb; 'aus' goes to the end.
- Essential for the German habit of saving energy.
What It Means
ausmachen is your best friend for daily life. It simply means to turn something off. It is the verbal equivalent of hitting the 'power' button. You will hear it constantly in German homes and offices. It covers everything from a tiny lamp to a giant machine.
How To Use It
This is a separable verb. This means the aus part likes to travel. In a normal sentence, aus goes to the very end. You say: Ich mache das Licht aus. It feels like you are wrapping the sentence around the object. If you use a helper verb like können, it stays together: Kannst du das ausmachen?
When To Use It
Use it whenever you finish using an electronic device. Use it when you leave a room to save power. It also works for fire. If you blow out a candle, you machst die Kerze aus. It is perfect for bedtime, leaving the office, or stopping a noisy radio.
When NOT To Use It
Do not use this for closing things. If you close a book or a door, use zumachen. Even though they both mean 'closing' a circuit or a door, they are different. Also, do not use it for 'extinguishing' a massive forest fire. That usually requires the more formal word löschen.
Cultural Background
Germans are very serious about energy efficiency. It is a point of national pride. Leaving a light on in an empty room is a minor social sin. You might hear a roommate or parent shout Licht aus! as a reminder. It is part of the 'Energiewende' or green energy mindset.
Common Variations
You might also hear ausschalten. This is basically the same thing but sounds more technical. Think of ausmachen as 'flipping the switch' and ausschalten as 'powering down the system'. In casual slang, ausmachen can also mean 'to matter' (e.g., Das macht nichts aus), but stick to 'turn off' for now!
Notas de uso
This is a neutral, everyday verb. The main 'gotcha' is its separable nature—always put 'aus' at the end of the clause.
The 'End' Rule
Always remember that 'aus' is like a caboose on a train; it must go to the very end of your sentence unless you have another verb pushing it.
Don't 'ausmachen' the Door
If you say 'Ich mache die Tür aus,' Germans will look at you confused. They will think you are trying to find a power switch on a wooden door! Use 'zumachen' for doors.
The 'Does it matter?' Secret
If someone asks 'Macht es dir was aus?' they aren't asking to turn you off. They are asking 'Do you mind?' It's a secret second meaning of the same verb!
Exemplos
6Ich mache das Licht aus.
I am turning the light off.
A standard daily statement. Notice 'aus' at the end.
Kannst du bitte die Musik ausmachen?
Can you please turn the music off?
Using 'können' keeps the verb together at the end.
Bitte machen Sie Ihre Handys aus.
Please turn off your mobile phones.
A polite request in a professional setting.
Hast du den Herd ausgemacht?
Did you turn the stove off?
The past tense form is 'ausgemacht'.
Kann man dich auch ausmachen?
Can one turn you off too?
A joke used when someone is talking too much.
Soll ich die Kerzen ausmachen?
Should I blow out the candles?
Used here for extinguishing a flame.
Teste-se
Fill in the missing part of the separable verb.
Ich mache den Fernseher ___.
To turn off the TV, you use 'aus' at the end of the sentence.
Choose the correct verb form for a polite request.
Können Sie bitte das Radio ___?
After the helper verb 'können', the main verb goes to the end in its infinitive form.
🎉 Pontuação: /2
Recursos visuais
Formality of 'Turning Off'
Used with friends for lights/TV.
Mach's aus!
Standard everyday usage.
Das Licht ausmachen.
Technical or very polite contexts.
Das Gerät ausschalten.
When to use 'ausmachen'
At Home
Turning off the stove
At the Cinema
Turning off your phone
Bedtime
Turning off the bedside lamp
Romantic Dinner
Blowing out candles
Perguntas frequentes
10 perguntasIt primarily means 'to turn off' or 'to extinguish'. You use it for lights, electronics, and flames like Ich mache das Licht aus.
Ausschalten is more formal and technical. You would use ausschalten for a computer system and ausmachen for a desk lamp.
It is a separable verb. In a basic sentence, the 'aus' moves to the end: Er macht den Fernseher aus.
Yes! It is the standard way to say you are blowing out or extinguishing a candle: Mach die Kerze aus.
No, that is a common mistake. For doors, windows, or bags, you must use zumachen.
The opposite is anmachen, which means 'to turn on'. For example, Ich mache das Licht an.
Yes, it can mean 'to matter' or 'to bother'. For example, Das macht mir nichts aus means 'I don't mind'.
You use the word ausgemacht. For example: Ich habe das Handy ausgemacht.
Yes, it is neutral enough for work. However, ausschalten might sound slightly more professional when referring to machinery.
German uses separable prefixes. The prefix aus detaches from the main verb machen and moves to the very last position in a standard clause.
Frases relacionadas
anmachen (to turn on)
ausschalten (to switch off - formal)
zumachen (to close)
löschen (to extinguish/delete)
das Licht löschen (to put out the light - poetic/old)
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