Beiseite

Beiseite is a German word with two common usages: as an adverb meaning to the side or aside, and in verb phrases meaning to set something aside for later. In everyday language, it is used to indicate moving objects out of the main area or shifting attention temporarily. The phrase beiseite legen or beiseite stellen is widely used to express that something should be put away or postponed.

Etymology and form: Beiseite is formed from the preposition bei (by, beside) and the noun Seite (side). Together they convey the idea of placing something by the side, out of the way. The word functions as an adverb and can appear in fixed expressions, while beiseite as part of verb compounds (beiseitelegen, beiseitelegen) denotes the action of setting something aside.

Usage in language: In sentences, beiseite often accompanies verbs of placing or moving objects: Ich lege das Buch beiseite. Wir sollten dieses Thema beiseitelegen. The construction is commonly used with verbs such as legen, stellen, oder räumen. Metaphorically, it can mean to dismiss or postpone a matter for the moment, not necessarily permanently.

Theatre usage: In dramaturgy, Beiseite is a technical term describing an aside, a remark spoken by a character directly to the audience that other characters on stage do not hear. It is a device used to reveal inner thoughts or information outside the main action.

See also: zur Seite, beiseitelegen, aside (in theatre). The term remains widely understood in standard German and appears in both everyday and literary contexts.