auszuwählen

Auszuwählen is the infinitive form of the German verb auszuwählen, a prefixed version of auswählen (to select, to pick out). The core meaning is to identify and decide on one or more elements from a defined set or list. The prefix aus- conveys the sense of drawing something out from a larger group. In everyday language, the verb is used for selecting items, candidates, options, or data points.

Grammatically, auswählen is a separable verb. In present tense constructions you commonly see ich wähle aus, du wählst aus, er/sie/es wählt aus, etc. The perfect tense uses ausgewählt: Ich habe eine Option ausgewählt. The infinitive with the prefix can appear in subordinate clauses or as a nonfinite form: Es ist schwer, eine Option auszuwählen. In attributive phrases the participle form can appear as auszuwahlende, for example die auszuwählende Option, meaning “the option to be selected.” This reflects how the prefix interacts with the infinitive when the verb is used in different grammatical positions.

Usage and context, where auszuwählen frequently occurs, include user interfaces and forms (Bitte wählen Sie eine Option aus), surveys and data processing (aus einer Liste Personen auswählen), and decision-making processes (den besten Kandidaten auswählen). The related noun for the process is Auswahl (selection). Synonyms and near-synonyms include aussuchen and selektieren, though each term carries slightly different nuance (aussuchen emphasizes finding from options, selecting emphasizes choosing according to criteria).

See also: auswählen, Auswahl, Wählen, Selektion.