keine Ausrede
/ˈkaɪ̯nə ˈaʊ̯sˌʁeːdə/word by word
The German phrase for "no excuse" is keine Ausrede.
You can use Keine Ausrede! as a standalone imperative exclamation to demand accountability.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of keine, which means "no" or "none" and Ausrede, which means "excuse".
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of keine Ausrede is keine Ausreden, which corresponds to "no excuses".
Did you know?
- The word Ausrede contains the root Rede, which means 'speech' or 'talk', implying that an excuse is literally a 'speech out' or a way of talking one's way out of a situation.
- In German, if someone gives a poor excuse, a listener might call it a billige Ausrede, which translates literally to a 'cheap excuse'.
- In a professional German setting, instead of saying keine Ausrede, one might use the more formal keine Rechtfertigung, which shifts the focus from a deceptive 'excuse' to a lack of 'justification'.
Examples in context
- Ich kann nicht, tut mir leid.I can't, sorry.
- Für die Verspätung gibt es keine Ausrede.There is no excuse for the delay.
- Das ist keine Ausrede für dein Verhalten.That is no excuse for your behavior.
Example conversation
Julian and Julia are discussing a missed deadline at work.
- JulianDu hast den Bericht nicht fertig gemacht?You didn't finish the report?
- JuliaDer Computer war leider kaputt.Unfortunately, the computer was broken.
- JulianDas ist keine Ausrede, Julia.That is no excuse, Julia.
- JuliaDu hast recht, Julian.You are right, Julian.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (keine, Ausrede) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Ausrede, CC BY-SA 4.0.
