austauschbar
The English word 'interchangeable' is translated into German as austauschbar.
austauschbar is an adjective used to describe things that are freely substitutable or can be swapped for one another without changing the result.
Meaning: freely substitutable (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound consisting of the verb austauschen, meaning 'to exchange' and the suffix -bar, which is equivalent to the English '-able'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as an attributive adjective before a masculine or feminine noun in the nominative case, the word takes an -e ending, such as in eine austauschbare Komponente.
Did you know?
- In German, if you call a person austauschbar, it is a severe insult implying they have no unique personality. While in English 'interchangeable' might be neutral in a technical context, in a social context it suggests the person is completely insignificant.
- The verb austauschen can be used reflexively as sich austauschen to mean 'to exchange ideas' or 'to converse', meaning two people are not swapping objects but swapping thoughts.
- German has a specific noun, Austauschstudent, derived from the same root as austauschbar, which is the standard term for an 'exchange student'.
Examples in context
- Die beiden Stühle sind austauschbar, da sie dasselbe Design haben.The two chairs are interchangeable, as they have the same design.
- Die Teile sind vollkommen austauschbar.The parts are completely interchangeable.
- Diese beiden Teile sind komplett austauschbar.These two parts are completely interchangeable.
- Die Batterien sind nicht einfach austauschbar.The batteries are not easily interchangeable.
- Sind die Ersatzteile für dieses Modell austauschbar?Are the spare parts for this model interchangeable?
Example conversation
Julian and Hannah are looking at components for a machine in a workshop.
- JulianSind diese Schrauben mit den alten austauschbar?Are these screws interchangeable with the old ones?
- HannahNein, sie sind leider nicht austauschbar.No, unfortunately they are not interchangeable.
- JulianDas ist ärgerlich für meine Arbeit.That is annoying for my work.
- HannahIch kann dir neue Teile bestellen.I can order new parts for you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry austauschbar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
