to have served its purpose / retire
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to have served its purpose
For an object: to no longer be used because it is old, worn out, or has been replaced by something better.
Mein altes Handy hat nach fünf Jahren endgültig ausgedient.
After five years, my old phone has finally served its purpose.
The word is made up of the prefix 'aus' and the verb 'dienen' (to serve). Here, 'aus' signals an end or completion, so 'ausdienen' literally means 'to serve to the end.'
Nach 20 Jahren hat die alte Waschmaschine nun ausgedient.
After 20 years, the old washing machine has now served its purpose.
'Ausdienen' (to have served its purpose / retire) is a separable verb. In a main clause, the prefix 'aus' goes at the end, while in a subordinate clause it stays attached to the verb.
Dieses Werkzeug dient bald aus.
This tool will soon have served its purpose.
The perfect tense of 'ausdienen' (to have served its purpose / retire) is always formed with the auxiliary verb 'haben' (to have). The subject of the sentence is the person or object that is no longer needed.
Der alte Computer hat bei uns schon lange ausgedient.
The old computer served its purpose at our place a long time ago.
You can recognize which meaning is intended from the subject of the sentence. If it is an object, such as a device or a piece of furniture, it means that it is worn out or no longer useful. If it is a person, that person is ending their service.
Die Winterreifen haben nach dieser Saison endgültig ausgedient.
The winter tires will definitely have served their purpose after this season.
to serve
'dienen' and 'ausdienen' look similar, but they do not mean the same thing. 'dienen' describes that someone or something fulfills a task, is useful, or serves in the military. 'ausdienen' means that this period or function has come to an end. With objects, it often means they are no longer used because they are old or have been replaced. With people, it can mean that someone has ended their service. The words can be confused because of their shared form. The important part is the beginning 'aus-': here it shows the end or completion of serving.
Diese Maschine hat ausgedient und wird nächste Woche ersetzt.
This machine has served its purpose and will be replaced next week.
Der alte Tisch dient in der Werkstatt noch als Arbeitsfläche.
The old table still serves as a work surface in the workshop.