Auseinander

Auseinander is a German adverb and prefix meaning “apart,” “away from one another,” or “into pieces.” It describes physical separation as well as figurative division, such as when a group or relationship splits. The term is formed from aus- (out, away) and einander (one another), conveying moving away from or breaking apart from a whole.

In grammar, auseinandER can function as an independent adverb or as a separable prefix in compound verbs. In main clauses it is typically separated from the verb: Wir gehen auseinander. In verb compounds it behaves like a prefix that splits off in finite clauses: Wir nehmen das Regal auseinander. In infinitives with zu, the parts may also be detached: Er versuchte, die Teile auseinanderzunehmen.

Common uses include describing the physical dispersion of objects, the disassembly of mechanisms, or the social and ideological splitting of groups. For example, Türen gehen auseinander when gaps form between door components; eine Beziehung geht auseinander to describe a dissolution of a relationship; zur Sprache bringen and other phrases may use auseinandER to emphasize separation. Auseinanderdriften is a related verb often used for social or political divergence, as in Die Gesellschaft driftet zunehmend auseinander.

Nouns with related meaning exist but are less common. The standard nominal form for the process is das Auseinandergehen (the act of parting) or das Auseinanderdriften (the drift apart). Auseinander itself remains mainly a functional element in describing separations and disassemblies rather than a standalone concept.

See also: separable prefix verbs in German, and compound verbs such as auseinandnehmen, auseinanderschneiden, and auseinandersetzung in broader contexts.