aussuchen

Aussuchen is a German verb meaning to choose or to select, often with the nuance of making a personal choice from a set of options. It is widely used in everyday language when someone is picking something for themselves, such as a purchase, a meal, or a preference.

Grammatically, aussuchen is a separable-prefix verb built from aus- and suchen. In present tense forms you typically see ich suche aus, du suchst aus, er/sie/es sucht aus. When the choice is made for someone, the reflexive form is common: ich suche mir etwas aus, du suchst dir etwas aus. The past participle is ausgesucht, used with haben: Wir haben drei Kandidaten ausgesucht. The noun form das Aussuchen (the act of choosing) is possible but less common in everyday usage.

Usage and nuance: aussuchen often implies a more personal or deliberate selection than synonyms like auswählen or wählen, which can carry a more neutral or formal tone. It is common in contexts such as shopping, planning, or decision-making where an individual has the freedom to pick among options.

Examples:

- Ich suche mir ein neues Buch aus.

- Wir haben aus der Liste drei Kandidaten ausgesucht.

- Das Aussuchen eines Geschenks fiel ihm schwer.

Etymology: from aus- (out, from) + suchen (to search).