Ausweisen

Ausweisen is a German verb with several related meanings tied to showing or proving something to others. It derives from aus- (out) and weisen (to show, indicate) and is used in everyday language as well as in legal and administrative contexts. The verb has at least two primary senses: proving identity and expelling someone from a jurisdiction or institution.

The most common sense is sich ausweisen, meaning to identify oneself or to prove one’s identity. This occurs at borders, when opening a bank account, or entering certain facilities or events. It usually requires presenting an identification document such as a passport or an ID card. The expression is frequent in phrases like, “Sie müssen sich ausweisen,” or “Bitte legen Sie Ihren Ausweis vor.” In everyday usage, this sense is closely linked to the concept of Identifikation or Identitätsnachweis.

A second sense is jmd. ausweisen, meaning to expel or banish someone from a country, region, or institution. This is a formal, legal action used by authorities or organizations. In immigration or administrative law, one may be “aus dem Land ausgewiesen” or “aus der Schule/ Organisation ausgewiesen” being ordered to leave. The emphasis is on exclusion rather than identification.

Nomenclature: the corresponding noun for the document used to prove identity is Ausweis. Common types include Personalausweis (national identity card) and Reisepass (passport). Variants and terminology for identification documents vary by country, but Ausweis generally denotes the identification document, while ausweisen refers to the act of identification or to the act of expulsion.