to fade away / wind down
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to wind down
To gradually come to an end in a calm and pleasant way. Often used in the expression 'etwas ausklingen lassen' (to let something wind down / to end something pleasantly).
Wir haben den Abend gemütlich bei einem Glas Wein ausklingen lassen.
We wound down the evening cozily with a glass of wine.
'Ausklingen' (to fade away / wind down) is a separable verb. The prefix 'aus-' goes at the end of the main clause. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive, the verb stays together.
Der Applaus klang nur langsam aus.
The applause faded away only slowly.
The verb forms the perfect tense with 'sein' when it describes something ending by itself (e.g., a tone). In the fixed expression 'etwas ausklingen lassen' (to let something wind down / to end something pleasantly), however, the perfect tense is formed with 'haben'.
Der letzte Ton der Symphonie ist gerade ausgeklungen.
The last note of the symphony has just faded away.
The expression 'etwas ausklingen lassen' (to let something wind down / to end something pleasantly) is especially common. It means to deliberately end an activity or a day in a calm and pleasant way. The 'etwas' is usually an accusative object such as 'den Abend' (the evening), 'den Tag' (the day), or 'das Fest' (the celebration).
Lass uns den Abend mit einem Film auf dem Sofa ausklingen lassen.
Let's wind down the evening with a film on the sofa.
This meaning almost always refers to tones, music, or sounds that gradually fade away. Typical subjects are 'die Musik' (the music), 'die Glocken' (the bells), 'der Applaus' (the applause), or 'das Lachen' (the laughter).
Nach dem Konzert klang der Beifall noch minutenlang aus.
After the concert, the applause kept fading away for several minutes.
to begin
'beginnen' and 'ausklingen' are opposites. 'beginnen' describes the beginning of something: an action, appointment, or event starts. 'ausklingen', on the other hand, describes a slow ending. It does not end suddenly or abruptly, but calmly and gradually. You can let an evening, a meeting, or even a sound 'ausklingen' (wind down / fade away). In practical terms: 'beginnen' fits the start, while 'ausklingen' fits a calm ending.
Am Wochenende lassen wir den Abend bei einem gemeinsamen Essen ausklingen.
At the weekend, we wind down the evening with a meal together.
Elif beginnt vor dem Termin noch schnell mit ihren Notizen.
Before the appointment, Elif quickly begins working on her notes.