uitlaten

Uitlaten is a Dutch word that can function as both a verb and a noun, with several related meanings. As a verb, it means to let out, to release, or to emit something. It is most commonly used in two contexts: to take a dog for a walk (een hond uitlaten) and to vent or express emotions or thoughts (iemand zijn of haar frustraties uitlaten). The verb is separable: in the present tense you say ik laat de hond uit, jij laat de hond uit, etc. The past participle is uitgelaten, and the auxiliary is hebben (ik heb de hond uitgelaten).

As a noun, uitlaat refers to an outlet or exhaust component. In mechanical and automotive contexts, it denotes parts such as the uitlaat (exhaust outlet), uitlaatklep (exhaust valve), and uitlaatpijp (exhaust pipe). The term is also used more generally for a vent or discharge opening, for example a vent in a room or system.

Usage notes and nuances: the sense of venting emotions can be stated as iemands gevoelens uitlaten, often implying relief through verbal expression. The dog-walking sense is highly common in everyday speech and is a typical example of a separable Dutch verb with a predictable syntax. In technical language, uitlaat is part of fixed expressions describing emissions or exhaust systems, such as uitlaatgassen (exhaust gases).

Etymology: uitlaten is built from the prefixes uit- (out) and laten (to let, to allow), a combination common to separable verbs in Dutch. Related terms include uitlaatgassen, uitlaatklep, and uitlaatpijp.

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