Ausgehen vs. weggehen
While both ausgehen and weggehen can involve the act of leaving a place, they are not interchangeable. Weggehen focuses on the simple act of departure, while ausgehen usually implies a social or recreational purpose and has several other distinct meanings.
Ausgehen
A2This word primarily describes going out for entertainment or social activities, such as to a restaurant, bar, or cinema. It also has several important secondary meanings, including to run out of something, for a fire or light to be extinguished, for a situation to end in a certain way, or to assume something.
Wollen wir am Samstag zusammen ausgehen?
(Do you want to go out together on Saturday?)
Sie gehen seit drei Monaten miteinander aus.
(They have been dating for three months.)
Plötzlich ist im ganzen Haus das Licht ausgegangen.
(Suddenly, the lights went out in the entire house.)
Entschuldigung, die Milch ist uns ausgegangen.
(Sorry, we have run out of milk.)
Ich bin gespannt, wie das Fußballspiel ausgeht.
(I am curious how the football game will turn out.)
Ich gehe fest davon aus, dass du die Prüfung bestehst.
(I firmly assume that you will pass the exam.)
Weggehen
A1This word means to leave or to go away from a specific location. The focus is purely on the act of departing, without specifying the purpose of the departure.
Ich muss jetzt weggehen, sonst verpasse ich den Bus.
(I have to leave now, otherwise I will miss the bus.)
Sie ist von der Party weggegangen, weil sie müde war.
(She left the party because she was tired.)
Der Schmerz im Knie will einfach nicht weggehen.
(The pain in my knee just won't go away.)
Er ist vor vielen Jahren weggegangen und nie zurückgekommen.
(He went away many years ago and never came back.)
Dieser hartnäckige Fleck geht beim Waschen nicht weg.
(This stubborn stain does not go away in the wash.)
Summary
In essence, weggehen is about the physical act of leaving a place (A → B). In contrast, ausgehen describes the reason for leaving, which is typically for fun or socializing. You might weggehen (leave) from your house in order to ausgehen (go out on the town). Furthermore, ausgehen has multiple other important meanings (to run out, to turn out, to assume) that weggehen does not have.