ausbessern

/ˈaʊ̯sˌbɛsɐn/

verb B2

der (masc.) die (fem.) das (neut.)

Underline = a spelling pattern that usually signals that gender.

Forms

present: bessert aus
past: besserte aus
perfect: hat ausgebessert

Meaning

to mend, to repair

Built from aus (out) + bessern (to improve).
- Sie bessert das Loch in der Hose aus.
  
  She mends the hole in the trousers.
- Sie besserte den Riss in der Hose sorgfältig aus. Man sah ihn danach kaum noch.
  
  She carefully mended the tear in the trousers. Afterwards it was hardly visible.

Made of

aus out
bessern to improve

Similar words

reparieren

Close synonyms for "to repair"; ausbessern leans toward a smaller mend or patch-up, reparieren is the general, everyday word for fixing something.

Similar in other languages

English

fix

fix is the English word for the same thing — both mean "to mend, to repair."

Spanish

arreglar

arreglar is the Spanish word for the same thing — both mean "to fix, to repair."

Practice

1 What does ausbessern mean?

2 Fill the gap: Sie ___ das Loch in der Hose aus.

3 Which fingerprint chart matches ausbessern?

verbseparablecompound

Last updated 2026-09-24