auswählten

Auswählen is a German verb meaning to select or choose from a set of options. The form auswählten is a finite verb form derived from auswählen and is most commonly encountered as the simple past tense (Präteritum) of the verb in plural subjects. In standard written German, separable-prefix verbs like auswählen split in finite tenses, so the common past-tense constructions are zwei Wörter: wählten aus (for example, wir wählten aus, sie wählten aus). The single fused spelling auswählten may appear in some dictionaries or less formal texts, but it is not the usual orthography in contemporary prose.

Auswählen describes the act of selecting one or more items from a group, such as candidates, options, or proposals. It is often used in contexts like elections, admissions, competitions, and decision-making processes. The verb also forms a related adjective in the past participle form ausgewählt, which is used in perfect tenses (haben/sein + ausgewählt) and in attributive phrases to describe chosen items, as in die ausgewählten Kandidaten.

Examples:

- Die Jury wählte aus den drei Finalisten aus. (The jury selected from the three finalists.)

- Wir wählten aus, welche Optionen wir verwenden möchten. (We chose from which options we would use.)

- Die ausgewählten Bewerber wurden eingeladen. (The selected applicants were invited.)

Etymologically, auswählen combines the prefix aus- with wählen, reinforcing the sense of extracting or selecting from a larger set. Related terms include Auswahl (selection), Auswahlverfahren (selection procedure), and ausgewählt (past participle form).