Genau
Topic test · A1

The preposition aus test

13questions
8minutes
60%pass mark
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One question at a time, the clock runs. Answers stay closed like a real exam: you see every correct answer with its explanation at the end. Score 60% to finish the topic.

Topic test

13 questions, easy to hard

Pick an option and press «Next». You can go back and change it. Anything left blank counts as wrong.

I’m from Turkey.

kommen aus = to come from, to be from

aus der Türkei. die Türkei is one of the countries with an article, and because aus takes the Dativ, die → der. For origin you use aus, not von.

The table is made of wood.

aus Holz. Material is expressed with aus and the article drops — you mean “wood” in general, not one particular piece of wood. mit Holz means “with wood” and does not name a material.

I’m coming from the doctor’s.

vom Arzt. For people and institutions the three-part system is zu → bei → von. aus dem Arzt would mean “out of the doctor”.

Take the bread out of the oven.

aus dem Ofen. You are taking it out of an enclosed place → aus. der Ofen becomes dem Ofen in the Dativ.

I did it by mistake.

aus Versehen. One of the fixed phrases that express a reason; it has no article. Same group: aus Angst · aus Liebe · aus Spaß.

Er kommt aus Schweiz.

He’s from Switzerland.

der Schweiz. die Schweiz is feminine; because aus takes the Dativ, the feminine Dativ is der.

We’re coming out of the cinema.

aus dem Kino. The enclosed-place row: ins Kino → im Kino → aus dem Kino. aus takes the Dativ: dem, not das.

Die Tasche ist Leder.

The bag is made of leather.

Material is expressed with aus and takes no article: aus Leder · aus Holz · aus Baumwolle.

Er nimmt das Geld der Tasche.

He takes the money out of the bag.

Taking something out of the inside of something is aus + Dativ. von belongs to taking from a surface or from a person.

Which one is wrong?

Coming back from a person takes von: vom Arzt. A school and a cinema are places; for coming out of them, aus is right.

The sentence «Ich komme aus Türkei.» is correct.

False. Turkey is a country with an article (die Türkei), and because aus always takes the Dativ, the article must be der: aus der Türkei.

Der Tisch ist Holz.

The table is made of wood.

aus. To say what something is made of, you use aus and the article drops.

Build the sentence: He’s coming out of the room.

Tap the pieces to build the sentence

When you come out of the inside of an enclosed place, you use aus and the Dativ.
Quick rules

The rules in three lines

The full topic lives on its own page. This is only the core you need for the test.

  1. Home country with aus

    Ich komme aus der Türkei · aus Izmir. With countries that have an article, the article goes into the Dativ: aus der Schweiz.

    Ich komme aus der Türkei.

  2. Anything coming out of something is aus

    Bread from the oven, money from a bag, people from the cinema — from the inside of something enclosed to the outside: aus + Dativ.

    Nimm das Brot aus dem Ofen.

  3. Material: aus, no article

    aus Holz · aus Leder · aus Glas — when you say what something is made of, the article drops.

    Der Tisch ist aus Holz.

  4. Coming back from a person takes von

    vom Arzt · von Anna · von der Arbeit — when you come back from a person or an activity, aus is not used.

    Ich komme vom Arzt.

Traps

Commonly mixed up

Where a direct translation breaks. The hard questions come from here.

  • Ich komme aus dem Arzt.

    Ich komme vom Arzt.

    A doctor is a person, not a place; coming back is expressed with von.

  • Der Tisch ist aus dem Holz.

    Der Tisch ist aus Holz.

    There is no article with material.

  • Er kommt aus Schweiz.

    Er kommt aus der Schweiz.

    With countries that have an article, the article stays and goes into the Dativ.

  • Ich komme von der Türkei.

    Ich komme aus der Türkei.

    Home country and origin are expressed with aus; von is wrong here.