herausholen
to take out
To remove something or someone from a place, container, or situation, or to bring it outside.
EXAMPLE
Sie holte einen alten Brief aus der Schublade heraus.
She took an old letter out of the drawer.
herausholen
to take out / get out
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Meanings
herausholen
to get out
To achieve the best possible result, maximum performance, or greatest benefit from a person, thing, or situation.
EXAMPLE
Mit dem richtigen Training kannst du noch viel mehr aus dir herausholen.
With the right training, you can get much more out of yourself.
herausholen
to get out
To obtain information, a confession, or a statement from someone through questions or pressure.
EXAMPLE
Die Polizei versuchte, ein Geständnis aus dem Verdächtigen herauszuholen.
The police tried to get a confession out of the suspect.
Usage tips
Separable verb
'Herausholen' (to take out / get out) is a separable verb. The prefix 'heraus' comes at the end in a main clause. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
EXAMPLE
Er holt ein altes Fotoalbum heraus.
He takes out an old photo album.
Structure of the verb
The prefix 'heraus' combines 'her' (movement toward the speaker) and 'aus' (out of something). So the verb describes taking something from inside to outside, in the direction of the speaker.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du mir bitte die Milch aus dem Kühlschrank herausholen?
Could you please take the milk out of the fridge for me?
Sentence structure with a preposition
In the literal meaning, the preposition 'aus' with the dative is almost always used to name the place from which something is removed. The structure is: etwas (accusative) aus etwas (dative) herausholen.
EXAMPLE
Die Feuerwehr holte den Fahrer aus dem Auto heraus.
The fire department took the driver out of the car.
Figurative meaning
When the idea is maximizing performance, 'herausholen' (to get out) is often combined with abstract nouns like 'das Beste' (the best), 'das Maximum' (the maximum), or 'alles' (everything). The source is often a person or a situation.
EXAMPLE
Der Trainer will das Beste aus der Mannschaft herausholen.
The coach wants to get the best out of the team.
Context: information
In this meaning, it is about getting information from a person, often against that person's will. Typical objects are 'ein Geständnis' (a confession), 'die Wahrheit' (the truth), or 'Informationen' (information).
EXAMPLE
Der Detektiv versuchte, die Wahrheit aus dem Zeugen herauszuholen.
The detective tried to get the truth out of the witness.
Compare with
herausholen vs fischen
to fish
Fischen and herausholen can both describe taking something out of water or an awkward container. Fischen emphasizes searching for or skillfully reaching for something, while herausholen simply refers to removing or bringing something out. Use fischen for a difficult search and herausholen for simply taking something out.
herausholen
Sie holte den Schlüssel vorsichtig aus dem Eimer heraus.
She carefully took the key out of the bucket.
fischen
Sie fischte den Schlüssel vorsichtig aus dem trüben Wasser.
She carefully fished the key out of the murky water.
In real life
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