ausloten

to sound out; to probe; to explore the depth of

verb OWS-loh-ten Rare

Origin: from Lot (plumb line)

Usage Note

ausloten originally means to measure depth with a plumb line (nautical). Figuratively it means to thoroughly explore the limits or depths of something: Möglichkeiten ausloten (to explore possibilities), seine Grenzen ausloten (to probe one's limits).

Examples

"Die Verhandlungsführer versuchten, die Kompromissbereitschaft der anderen Seite auszuloten."

Natural Translation

The negotiators tried to sound out the other side's willingness to compromise.

Literal Translation

The negotiation-leaders tried, the compromise-willingness of-the other side to probe.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

Der, Die, Das: Rules to Guess German Gender

German noun gender rules made simple: check the suffix first, then meaning. Endings like -ung, -chen, and -ling predict der, die, or das with ~90% accuracy.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Numbers 1–100: Why 21 Is Said Backwards

German numbers 1 to 100 reverse the digits: 21 is einundzwanzig (one-and-twenty). Learn the und rule, the irregulars, and how to hear prices fast.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

How to Memorize German Vocabulary Fast

Memorize German vocabulary fast with a five-step workflow: drill the top 100 words, learn nouns with their article, color-code gender, and use spaced repetition

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Two-Way Prepositions: Accusative or Dative?

Use accusative for movement into a place (wohin?) and dative for a fixed location (wo?). Master all nine German two-way prepositions with one simple test.

June 9, 2026 6 min read