aushelfen

Aushelfen is a German verb meaning to provide temporary help or to substitute for someone. It conveys the idea of offering relief or supplementary assistance for a limited period, such as covering a colleague’s shift, assisting with tasks when someone is unavailable, or stepping in for a missing team member.

Usage and contexts: The verb is commonly used with a dative object, for example "Kannst du mir heute aushelfen?" or "Ich helfe dir aus." In workplaces, "eine Aushilfe" denotes a temporary employee who is hired to aushelfen. The expression is also used in everyday situations, as in "Ich helfe heute in der Küche aus" or "Wir müssen heute aushelfen, damit der Laden offen bleibt."

Grammar and forms: aushelfen is a separable verb. Present tense: ich helfe aus; du hilfst aus; er hilft aus. Imperfekt: ich half aus. Perfect: ich habe ausgeholfen. The past participle is ausgeholfen. The noun form for a temporary helper is Aushilfe.

Etymology and nuance: The prefix aus- plus helfen reflects an outward or temporary act of helping. The term is widely used across German-speaking regions and ranges from informal to semi-formal contexts.