Auseinanderliegen

Auseinanderliegen is a German intransitive verb with a separable prefix meaning to lie apart or to be separated. It can describe both physical distance between objects and a figurative or quantitative separation, such as a discrepancy between figures, opinions, or statements.

The term is commonly used for two main senses: spatial separation and disparity. In spatial usage, it refers to parts that are not touching, for example, “Die beiden Bretter liegen zehn Zentimeter auseinander.” In figurative usage, it describes a notable difference or deviation, as in “Die Ergebnisse der beiden Studien liegen weit auseinander” or “Die Positionen der Parteien liegen auseinander.” The phrase often appears with adverbs like weit, deutlich, or stark.

Grammatically, auseinanderliegen is a separable verb built from liegen and the prefix auseinander-. In main clauses the prefix is separated: “Die Teile liegen auseinander.” In subordinate clauses or with finite verb forms, the construction changes as with other separable verbs, for example, “Die Zahlen haben weit auseinandergelegen” (perfect). The expression can be negated or intensified with adverbs such as nicht, kaum, or außerordentlich.

Examples:

- Die Teile liegen auseinander.

- Die Ergebnisse liegen weit auseinander.

- Die Meinungen der Experten liegen deutlich auseinander.

- Die Zahlen haben stark auseinandergelegen.

Related terms include auseinanderklaffen (to gape apart) and unterschiedlicher sein (to be different). Auseinanderliegen is common in technical, scientific, and journalistic contexts to describe measurable or perceived gaps.