austreten
to leave
To officially end membership in an organization, association, party, or religious community.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat beschlossen, aus der Kirche auszutreten.
She decided to leave the church.
austreten
to leave / to leak / to stamp out
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Meanings
austreten
to leak
The uncontrolled escape of liquids or gases from a container or pipe.
EXAMPLE
Aus dem beschädigten Rohr ist Gas ausgetreten.
Gas leaked from the damaged pipe.
austreten
to step out
A colloquial, euphemistic expression for going to the toilet.
EXAMPLE
Entschuldigen Sie mich bitte kurz, ich muss mal austreten.
Please excuse me for a moment, I need to step out.
austreten
to stamp out
To extinguish something that is burning or glowing, such as a cigarette or a small fire, with one's feet.
EXAMPLE
Bitte treten Sie Ihre Zigarette sorgfältig aus, bevor Sie den Wald betreten.
Please stamp out your cigarette carefully before entering the forest.
austreten
to overflow
The overflowing of a river or stream over its banks, usually because of heavy rain or melting snow.
EXAMPLE
Nach den heftigen Regenfällen ist der Fluss an mehreren Stellen ausgetreten.
After the heavy rainfall, the river overflowed in several places.
austreten
to kick out
The action of a horse or similar animal striking forcefully backward with its hind legs.
EXAMPLE
Geh nicht zu nah hinter das Pferd, es könnte austreten.
Don't go too close behind the horse; it could kick out.
Usage tips
Separable verb
'Austreten' (to leave/leak/stamp out) is a separable verb. The prefix 'aus-' stands at the end of the sentence in main clauses. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive, the verb stays together.
EXAMPLE
Er tritt morgen aus dem Verein aus.
He is leaving the club tomorrow.
Perfect tense with "sein"
The perfect tense of 'austreten' is almost always formed with the auxiliary verb 'sein', because it describes a change of state or movement. For example: 'Das Wasser ist ausgetreten.' (The water has leaked out/overflowed.)
EXAMPLE
Nach dem starken Regen ist der Bach ausgetreten.
After the heavy rain, the stream overflowed.
Sentence structure with "aus"
When ending a membership, you use the structure 'aus etwas (Dativ) austreten' (to leave something, with the dative after aus). Typical organizations are 'die Kirche' (the church), 'ein Verein' (an association/club), or 'eine Partei' (a party).
EXAMPLE
Mein Bruder ist letztes Jahr aus dem Fußballverein ausgetreten.
My brother left the football club last year.
Context: liquids & gases
When the subject of the sentence is a liquid (oil, water) or a gas, 'austreten' means 'entweichen' (to escape) or 'auslaufen' (to leak out). The subject here is always impersonal.
EXAMPLE
Achtung, aus dem Fass tritt eine unbekannte Flüssigkeit aus.
Careful, an unknown liquid is leaking from the barrel.
Register: euphemism
In the meaning 'zur Toilette gehen' (to go to the toilet), 'austreten' is a euphemism, meaning a nicer indirect expression. It sounds somewhat more polite and formal, but it is rather rare in everyday use.
EXAMPLE
Kann ich kurz austreten, bevor der Film anfängt?
Can I step out briefly before the film starts?
Use with accusative
Only in the meaning 'etwas mit den Füßen löschen' (to put something out with one's feet) is 'austreten' transitive and requires an accusative object. You stamp *something* out.
EXAMPLE
Er hat das kleine Lagerfeuer mit seinen Stiefeln ausgetreten.
He stamped out the small campfire with his boots.
Compare with
austreten vs löschen
to extinguish / delete
Löschen generally says that something is no longer burning or glowing, without naming a specific method. Austreten, by contrast, means putting something out with your feet. For a cigarette or a small fire, austreten is therefore appropriate only when a foot is actually used.
austreten
Nina tritt die glühende Zigarette mit dem Schuh aus.
Nina stamps out the glowing cigarette with her shoe.
löschen
Nina löscht die glühende Zigarette mit etwas Wasser.
Nina puts out the glowing cigarette with some water.
In real life
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