außer

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See also: ausser and äußer

German

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle High German ūzer, from Old High German ūzar. More at aus. Cf. English outer, Norwegian uten-, ytre.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈaʊ̯sɐ/,
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: au‧ßer

Preposition

außer (+ dative or sometimes genitive)

  1. except; besides; apart from
    Alle außer dir sind schon unterwegs.
    Everyone except for you is already on their way.
    • 1915, Franz Kafka, Der Process, Verlag: Die Schmiede, published 1925, page 5:
      K. wollte sich setzen, aber nun sah er, daß im ganzen Zimmer keine Sitzgelegenheit war, außer dem Sessel beim Fenster.
      K. wanted to sit down, but now he saw that there was no seat in the whole room apart from the armchair at the window.
  2. out of
    außer Atem ― out of breath
    außer Betrieb ― out of order
    außer Frage ― out of the question
    außer Gefecht ― out of action
    außer Kontroll ― out of control
    außer Sicht ― out of sight
    außer Übung ― out of practice
    außer Landes ― out of the country
    außer Haus(es) ― away from home; away from work
  3. (with reflexive pronoun, ) beside oneself
    Sie war außer sich vor Wut.
    She was beside herself with anger.

Usage notes

  • In contemporary colloquial German, außer is often construed like a conjunction rather than a preposition. See below.
  • In formal writing, außer occasionally takes a genitive object. This remains rare with the exception of außer Landes.

Derived terms

Conjunction

außer

  1. (standard) except; referring to a following clause or adverb
    Sie können das Spiel nicht mehr gewinnen, außer wenn sie ein Wunder schaffen.
    They can’t win the match anymore, except if they produce a miracle.
  2. (colloquial, otherwise nonstandard) except; referring to a noun phrase, which follows in the case suggested by the syntax of the clause
    Keiner wollte mithelfen außer du und ich.
    Nobody wanted to help except you and me.
    Außer dich hab ich noch keinen gefragt.
    Except for you I haven’t asked anyone so far.

Further reading

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