auszuhandeln

Auszuhandeln is a German verb that denotes the process of arriving at an agreement through negotiation, especially regarding terms, prices, or conditions. It emphasizes finalizing a deal or settlement rather than merely discussing options. The meaning overlaps with verhandeln, but aus- adds a nuance of completing or securing specific details.

The base form is aushandeln, and in formal constructions it appears with zu, as in es ist noch auszuhandeln or die Konditionen sind noch auszuhandeln, indicating that negotiations remain to be concluded. In everyday speech the past tense is expressed as ausgehandelt, e.g., Wir haben den Preis ausgehandelt. The expression es ist noch auszuhandeln is commonly used in business, contracts, and politics to signal pending negotiation.

Synonyms and related terms include verhandeln (to negotiate in general), aushandeln (to bargain out, often with a sense of extracting terms), and herausverhandeln or herauszuverhandeln (to force or extract favorable terms through negotiation). These terms share a core idea but differ in nuance: aushandeln focuses on reaching an agreement; herausverhandeln emphasizes obtaining favorable concessions through negotiation.

Usage notes: auszuhandeln is typically employed in professional or formal contexts, where details or conditions need to be finalized. It is not equivalent to simply agreeing to terms or signing a contract; rather, it describes the ongoing or pending process of negotiating those terms. Examples include negotiating a price, a contract clause, or the scope of a project.