to book out / write off
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to book out
To remove a reservation or booking (e.g., for a hotel room or a flight) from a system or mark it as occupied so that it is no longer available.
Der Kunde hat seine Reservierung storniert, also müssen wir das Zimmer wieder ausbuchen.
The customer canceled his reservation, so we have to book the room out again.
'Ausbuchen' (to book out/write off) is a separable verb. The prefix 'aus-' is placed at the end in main clauses. In subordinate clauses or the infinitive, the verb stays together.
Der Mitarbeiter bucht die Rechnung aus dem System aus.
The employee writes the invoice out of the system.
The verb is made up of 'aus' (out) and 'buchen' (to book). 'Buchen' means to enter something into a system (e.g., a trip or an amount of money). The prefix 'aus-' reverses this process and means removing something from the system.
Können Sie diese Buchung bitte wieder ausbuchen? Ich habe mich geirrt.
Could you please book this booking back out? I made a mistake.
In this meaning, 'ausbuchen' (to book out) is used in tourism, the hotel industry, and events. The object is typically a reservation, e.g., 'ein Zimmer' (a room), 'ein Ticket' (a ticket), or 'ein Platz' (a seat/place).
Das Hotel war komplett ausgebucht, wir konnten kein Zimmer mehr bekommen.
The hotel was completely booked out; we couldn't get another room.
This meaning belongs to the technical language of accounting. Here, 'ausbuchen' (to write off) means removing a financial item from the books because, for example, it has been paid or is worthless.
Der Verlust musste als außerordentlicher Aufwand ausgebucht werden.
The loss had to be written off as an extraordinary expense.
to book / prove / top
'belegen' and 'ausbuchen' can both have to do with reservations and available places. 'belegen' describes that a place, room, or course is already occupied or reserved. 'ausbuchen' is used more in a booking or administration system: a reservation is removed, or a place is marked so that it is no longer available. The words are easy to confuse because the visible result is often the same: there is nothing free anymore. In everyday language, you would more often say 'Das Zimmer ist belegt' (the room is occupied); in administration or in a hotel, you can say that something is 'ausgebucht' or has been 'ausgebucht'.
Das Hotel musste das Zimmer im System ausbuchen, weil der Gast abgesagt hatte.
The hotel had to book the room out in the system because the guest canceled.
Alle Plätze im Sprachkurs sind schon belegt.
All the places in the language course are already taken.