abgelesen

Abgelesen is the past participle of the German verb ablesen, and it is used to describe the act of reading information off a source rather than from memory. The core sense is to extract data directly from a display, document, measurement device, or other reference material by looking at it and recording or reciting what is présent.

Usage and sense

- Reading from a source: The term is commonly used for numbers or readings taken from meters, gauges, receipts, or lists. Example: Der Zählerstand wurde um 12 Uhr abgelesen.

- Reading aloud from a document or script: In contexts where someone reads from a source material, ablesen can be used, especially when the reading is done directly from the source rather than from memory. Example: Er hat die Passage aus dem Skript abgelesen.

- As an adjective or attributive participle: abgelesene Werte or abgelesene Zahlen refers to values that were read off a source. Example: Die abgelesenen Werte wurden bestätigt.

Grammar

- Ablesen is a separable-prefix verb. In present tense: Ich lese die Zahlen ab. In perfect tense with haben: Ich habe die Zahlen abgelesen. When used adjectivally, the form remains with the participle: abgelesene Werte.

- The expression usually takes a direct object indicating what is read, e.g., den Zählerstand, die Zahlen, das Protokoll.

Relation to related terms

- Ablesen contrasts with abschreiben (to copy text by writing from a source) and vorlesen (to read aloud to others). Ablesen emphasizes obtaining information directly from an external source.

Overview

Abgelesen communicates that data were obtained by reading off a source, and it is widely used in technical, administrative, and everyday contexts where verification against a source is required.