ausfahren

Ausfahren is a German verb formed with the separable prefix aus- and the verb fahren (to go, to drive). It has several related meanings centered on moving away from a place or on extending something.

In common usage ausfahren most often means to drive out of a location or to pull out onto a road. Examples include a car leaving a garage or a bus departing a depot. In this sense the action is a movement, and in the perfect tense the auxiliary is usually sein (Der Bus ist ausgefahren).

A nautical sense is to depart from a harbor or quay, for example a ship that sails out to sea. The term can also appear in logistics or travel contexts to indicate that a vehicle or convoy has left a port or facility.

In technical or mechanical language ausfahren can mean to extend or project parts, such as an antenna, a telescopic arm, or other deployable components. Here ausfahren describes a state change rather than movement through space, and the appropriate auxiliary verb can be haben depending on the construction.

Noun usage centers on Ausfahrt, meaning a road exit or driveway—the place where one leaves a road or facility. The compound terms Ausfahrtschild or Autobahnausfahrt are common in road signage.

Etymology traces ausfahren to fahren with the prefix aus-, with long-standing usage in standard German. The exact sense depends on context, ranging from driving out and departing to deploying a component or equipment.