German Word of the Day: Die Ausrede

This little German word can come in handy in a variety of situations.

Ausrede, Meaning "excuse" consists of the verb reden which means "to talk" or "to speak" and the prefix aus which translates as "out", "off" or "from".

So, a good way to remember the word is to think of it as a tool you use for talking yourself out of something. 

READ ALSO: German phrase of the day: Unter vier Augen

One thing to bear in mind, however, is that in German, the word Ausrede has a slightly negative connotation and can be used to hint that the reason given is fabricated.

So, if you want to tell your boss that you have a good reason for why you can't come to work, it's better to say you have eine Entschuldigung (also meaning excuse) instead.

Another thing to watch out for is trying to use the verb ausreden in the same way as the English "to excuse". In German, the verb ausreden actually means to finish speaking, for example: ich lasse ihn ausreden means "I let him finish speaking".

Examples:

Er hat nach einer Ausrede gesucht

He was looking for an excuse