German word

außen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈaʊ̯sən/

Meaning

  • adverboutside

Example

Bitte warte außen vor der Tür.

Please wait outside, in front of the door.

Illustration for außen (outside)

More examples

Die Blumen stehen außen auf dem Balkon.

The flowers are outside on the balcony.

Core concept

The space or surface beyond a thing's boundary, contrasted with its inside.

Common phrases

  • außen auf dem Balkon

    outside on the balcony

  • außen an der Wand

    on the outside of the wall

Similar words

draußen: Outdoors, away from the inside of a building.
drinnen: Indoors, within a building or room.
innen: Inside the inner area or side of a thing or building.

Definition in German

Räumlich an der äußeren Seite von etwas gelegen und nicht im Inneren; oft im Gegensatz zu innen verwendet

Word origin

Außen comes through Middle High German ūzen from Old High German ūzana, an inherited Germanic adverb for the outside.

Usage tips

  • In außen vor, the word forms an idiom meaning excluded or not considered rather than merely located outside.

Opposites

Word lists with this word