One of the things that is the most surprising (and exasperating) when you start learning German is the idea of a separable verb. We’re going to look at what they are and how to conjugate them in more detail. They are similar to phrasal verbs in English.
A characteristic feature of German is its ability to create verbs with new meanings through the addition of prefixes to nouns, adjectives, or other verbs.
For example:
- aus + gehen = ausgehen – to go out
- ver + kaufen = verkaufen – to sell
German has two categories of prefixes: inseparable prefixes and separable prefixes. However, few prefixes exist that can be used in either catgory.
Also, a verb could have more than one prefix, each giving a new verb with a different meaning than the others. Take the verb ‘
kommen‘ for example:
| Verb |
Definition |
| kommen |
to come |
| ankommen |
to arrive |
| mitkommen |
to come along |
| weiterkommen |
to get on |
| hereinkommen |
to come in |
| herauskommen |
to come out |
| nachkommen |
to come later |
| zurückkommen |
to come back |
Inseparable Prefixes
These prefixes are always attached to the front end of a verb and are never removed from it no matter the tense or form of the verb. When pronouncing a verb with an inseparable prefix, the stress is always on the stem of the verb.
The table below shows these prefixes, along with some examples:
| Prefix |
Verb |
Definition |
| be- |
bekommen |
to get/receive |
| besuchen |
to visit/attend |
| emp- |
empfehlen |
to recommend |
| empfinden |
to feel |
| ent- |
entlassen |
to discharge/fire |
| entscheiden |
to decide/determine |
| er- |
erfinden |
to invent/make-up |
| erwarten |
to expect/anticipate |
| ge- |
gehorchen |
to obey |
| gestatten |
to permit/allow |
| miss- |
missachtest |
to disobey/disregard |
| misstrauen |
to mistrust/suspect |
| ver- |
vergessen |
to forget |
| verstehen |
to understand |
| zer- |
zerstören |
to destroy |
| zerkratzen |
to scratch |
The inseparable prefix remains attached to the verb when its conjugated. Notice the position of the inseparable prefix in the following examples:
- Ich verstehe sehr gut Deutsch – I understant very good German
- Ich besuche meine Eltern jeden Tag – I visit my parents everyday
Separable Prefixes
Separable prefixes are adverbs and prepositions that are detached from the verb when it is conjugated. It would be completely impractical to list all of those prefixes; as there are many. When pronouncing a verb with a separable prefix, the stress is always on the separable prefix.
The table below shows the most common ones along with some examples:
| Prefix |
Verb |
Definition |
| an- |
ankommen |
to arrive |
| anrufen |
to phone somebody |
| auf- |
aufstehen |
to wake up |
| aufhören |
to stop/cease |
| aus- |
ausgehen |
to go out |
| aussprechen |
to pronounce |
| bei- |
beibringen |
to teach |
| beitragen |
to add/contribute |
| ein- |
einkaufen |
to go shopping |
| einladen |
to invite |
| fort- |
fortfahren |
to continue/proceed |
| fortgehen |
to go away |
| mit- |
mitgehen |
to go along |
| mitarbeiten |
to collaborate |
| nach- |
nachahmen |
to imitate/copy |
| nacharbeiten |
to rework/revise |
| vor- |
vorstellen |
to present/introduce |
| vorbereiten |
to prepare/set up |
| weg- |
wegfahren |
to drive away |
| weglaufen |
to run away |
| zu- |
zuhören |
to listen |
| zunehmen |
to increase/grow |
As already mentioned, when a verb with a separable prefix is conjugated in the present tense, the separable prefix is detached from it. The prefix is moved to the end of its clause. Notice the position of the inseparable prefix in the following examples:
- Herr Bauer ruft seine Frau an – Mr Bauer is calling his wife
- Ich gehe mit meinen Freunden jeden Tag aus – I go out with my friends everyday
- Sie kauft im Supermarkt ein – She is shopping in the supermark
Prefixes that can be Separable or Inseparable
A few prefixes exist that can be either separable or inseparable, depending on the way the verb is pronounced. When the stress is on the prefix itself, the prefix is separable. But when the stress is on the stem of the verb, it’s a strong signal that the prefix is an inseparable one.
A few examples are shown in the next table:
| Prefix |
Separable Verb |
Inseparable Verb |
| durch- |
durchfallen |
durchdringen |
| um- |
umsteigen |
umarmen |
| wieder- |
wiedergeben |
wiederholen |
Of course, the verb conjugation depends on whether the prefix is separable or inseparable, as shown in the next example:
- Wir steigen in Berlin um (umsteigen) – We change (busses) in Berlin
- Wir umarmen uns (umarmen) – We embrace ourselves
That brings us to the end of this lesson. Make sure to solve the exercises associated with this lesson before proceeding to the next ones.
| Handout: Separable and Inseparable Prefixes |
As you know, German verbs can have separable prefixes. These prefixes change the meaning of the original verb, and make a new word. In the present tense, separable prefixes are separated from the verb and placed at the end of the sentence bracket. The separation rule also applies in the imperative. When used in the infinitive, however (e.g. with a modal auxiliary), separable prefix verbs are not divided. As you will shortly learn, the participle forms in the past tense are also combined.
| Hans steht jeden Tag um 9.00 Uhr auf. |
Hans gets up every day at 9:00. |
| Hans, steh jetzt auf! |
Hans, get up now! |
| Hans muss jeden Tag um 9.00 Uhr aufstehen. |
Hans has to get up every day at 9:00. |
Common separable prefixes. Remember that this list is only a rough guide to the meanings of prefixes, since their use is highly idiomatic.
| ab= off, down |
abholen |
to pick up |
|
abnehmen |
to take off |
|
| an = an , at |
anfangen |
to start, to begin |
|
anrufen |
to call, to telephone |
|
anziehen |
to put on, to dress |
|
| auf = up |
aufhören |
to stop |
|
aufräumen |
to clean up |
|
aufstehen |
to get up, to stand up |
|
| aus = out |
ausgehen |
to go out |
|
aussehen |
to seem, to appear |
|
| ein = in, into |
einkaufen |
to shop |
|
einschlafen |
to go to sleep |
|
| fern = far |
fernsehen |
to watch TV |
|
| fort = away |
fortgehen |
to leave , to go away |
|
| her = ‘hither’, to here |
herholen |
to fetch |
|
herkommen |
to come from |
|
| hin = ‘thither’, to there |
hinstellen |
to put, to place |
|
| mit = with, along |
mitbringen |
to bring along |
|
mitkommen |
to come along |
|
mitnehmen |
to take along |
|
| nach = after |
nachdenken |
to think, to reflect |
|
nachfragen |
to inquire, ask after |
|
| um = around, at |
umsehen |
to look around |
|
| vor = before |
vorhaben |
to have planned |
|
vorstellen |
to introduce |
|
| vorbei = by, past |
vorbeikommen |
to come by |
|
| weg = away |
weggehen |
to go away, leave |
|
wegnehmen |
to take away |
|
| zu = to, closed |
zuhören |
to listen |
|
zumachen |
to close |
|
| zurück = back |
zurückgeben |
to give back |
|
zurückkommen |
to come back |
|
| zusammen = together |
zusammenkommen |
to come together |
|
|
Separable Verbs
| 1.ABHOLEN : |
to fetch/pick up |
| Ich: |
hole ab |
Wir: |
holen ab |
| Du: |
holst ab |
Ihr: |
holt ab |
| Er: |
holt ab |
Sie: |
holen ab |
| 2. ANFANGEN : |
to begin |
| Ich: |
fange an |
Wir: |
fangen an |
| Du: |
fängst an |
Ihr: |
fangt an |
| Er: |
fängt an |
Sie: |
fangen an |
| 3. ANKOMMEN : |
to arrive |
| Ich: |
komme an |
Wir: |
kommen an |
| Du: |
kommst an |
Ihr: |
kommt an |
| Er: |
kommt an |
Sie: |
kommen an |
| 4. ANRUFEN : |
to call up |
| Ich: |
rufe an |
Wir: |
rufen an |
| Du: |
rufst an |
Ihr: |
ruft an |
| Er: |
ruft an |
Sie: |
rufen an |
| 5. AUFHÖREN : |
to stop/be over |
| Ich: |
höre auf |
Wir: |
hören auf |
| Du: |
hörst auf |
Ihr: |
hört auf |
| Er: |
hört auf |
Sie: |
hören auf |
| 6. AUFPASSEN : |
to watch out or pay attention |
| Ich: |
passe auf |
Wir: |
passen auf |
| Du: |
passt auf |
Ihr: |
passt auf |
| Er: |
passt auf |
Sie: |
passen auf |
| 7. AUFRÄUMEN : |
to clean up/tidy up |
| Ich: |
räume auf |
Wir: |
räumen auf |
| Du: |
räumst auf |
Ihr: |
räumt auf |
| Er: |
räumt auf |
Sie: |
räumen auf |
| 8. AUFSTEHEN : |
to stand up |
| Ich: |
stehe auf |
Wir: |
stehen auf |
| Du: |
stehst auf |
Ihr: |
steht auf |
| Er: |
steht auf |
Sie: |
stehen auf |
| 9. AUSFÜLLEN : |
to fill out |
| Ich: |
fülle aus |
Wir: |
füllen aus |
| Du: |
füllst aus |
Ihr: |
füllt aus |
| Er: |
füllt aus |
Sie: |
füllen aus |
| 10. AUSGEHEN : |
to go out |
| Ich: |
gehe aus |
Wir: |
gehen aus |
| Du: |
gehst aus |
Ihr: |
geht aus |
| Er: |
geht aus |
Sie: |
gehen aus |
| 11. AUSSEHEN : |
to look or to appear |
| Ich: |
sehe aus |
Wir: |
sehen aus |
| Du: |
siehst aus |
Ihr: |
seht aus |
| Er: |
sieht aus |
Sie: |
sehen aus |
| 12. EINKAUFEN : |
to go shopping |
| Ich: |
kaufe ein |
Wir: |
kaufen ein |
| Du: |
kaufst ein |
Ihr: |
kauft ein |
| Er: |
kauft ein |
Sie: |
kaufen ein |
| 13. EINLADEN : |
to invite |
| Ich: |
lade ein |
Wir: |
laden ein |
| Du: |
lädst ein |
Ihr: |
ladet ein |
| Er: |
lädt ein |
Sie: |
laden ein |
| 14. EINPACKEN : |
to pack up |
| Ich: |
packe ein |
Wir: |
packen ein |
| Du: |
packst ein |
Ihr: |
packt ein |
| Er: |
packt ein |
Sie: |
packen ein |
| 15. RADFAHREN : |
to ride a bicycle |
| Ich: |
fahre rad |
Wir: |
fahren rad |
| Du: |
fährst rad |
Ihr: |
fahrt rad |
| Er: |
fährt rad |
Sie: |
fahren rad |
| 16. VORBEIGEHEN : |
to go past |
| Ich: |
gehe vorbei |
Wir: |
gehen vorbei |
| Du: |
gehst vorbei |
Ihr: |
geht vorbei |
| Er: |
geht vorbei |
Sie: |
gehen vorbei |
| 17. VORHABEN : |
to have plans |
| Ich: |
habe vor |
Wir: |
haben vor |
| Du: |
hast vor |
Ihr: |
habt vor |
| Er: |
hat vor |
Sie: |
haben vor |
Introduction to Separable Verbs
For these verbs, the particle is separated and placed at the end of the clause for simple verb tenses (as long as the clause is not
subordinate or
relative).
Let´s look at the separable verb “absagen” (cancel) as an example.
The verb is formed by the particle
ab and the verb
sagen.
“Sagen” alone means to say, but together with the particle “ab” it means “cancel”.
Er sagt ein Konzert ab
He cancelled the concert
As you can observe in this example, the particle “ab” is placed at the end of the clause.
This property of separating only takes place in verb tenses that do not have an auxiliary verb (helping verb). In German, they are:
- Präsens
- Präteritum
- Imperativ
Präsens (present)
| Person |
Conjugation |
Translation |
| ich |
sag-e […] ab |
I cancel |
| du |
sag-st […] ab |
you cancel |
| er/sie/es |
sag-t […] ab |
he/she/it cancels |
| wir |
sag-en […] ab |
we cancel |
| ihr |
sag-t […] ab |
you cancel (speaking to a group) |
| sie |
sag-en […] ab |
they cancel |
Präteritum (past simple)
| Person |
Conjugation |
Translation |
| ich |
sag-t-e […] ab |
I cancelled |
| du |
sag-te-st[…] ab |
you cancelled |
| er/sie/es |
sag-t-e […] ab |
he/she/it cancelled |
| wir |
sag-t-en […] ab |
we cancelled |
| ihr |
sag-te-t […] ab |
you cancelled |
| sie |
sag-t-en […] ab |
they cancelled |
Imperativ (Imperative)
| Person |
Conjugation |
Translation |
| 2nd person singular |
sag […] ab |
cancel |
| 1st person plural |
sag-en wir […] ab |
Let’s cancel |
| 2nd person plural |
sag-t […] ab
|
cancel |
| polite form (Sie) |
sag-en Sie […] ab |
cancel |
The construction of the “Partizip II”
To make the Partizip II for the separable verb, you do the same as you would for the “Partizip II” for verbs that are not separted and add the particle as a prefix.
| Infinitive |
Partizip II |
Translation |
| absagen |
abgesagt |
cancelled |
| aufmachen |
aufgemacht |
opened |
| umsteigen |
umgestiegen |
changed |
| zumachen |
zugemacht |
closed |
Separable Verbs in Subordinate Clauses
For subordinate clauses, separable verbs behave like normal verbs, meaning that they aren´t separate:
Sie hat erzählt, dass er ein Konzert absagt
She said that he’s cancelling a concert
Separable Verbs in Relative Clauses
In relative clauses the separable verbs do not split:
Ich schickte dir eine SMS, die nie ankam
I sent you a text that never arrived
Separable verbs in Clauses “(um)” + “zu”
Compound clauses with “(um) + zu”, the separable verbs are split by placing the preposition zu between the particle and the verb:
Es ist schwer, das Spiel wegzulegen
It’s difficult to put down this game
Separable particles
Sometimes, particles change the meaning of the verb they accompany just slightly, other times drastically.
Separable particles are:
absagen
[cancel]“ab-”
- abschrauben [unscrew]
- absegeln [sail away]
- abbiegen [turn]
“an-“
- anleiten [guide]
- anmelden [register]
- anrufen [call]
- anfangen [start]
- anhalten [stop]
- ankommen [arrive]
- anbieten [offer]
- anpassen [adapt]
- anschließen [connect]
“auf-“
- aufheizen [heat up]
- aufhaben [wear]
- aufstehen [to stand up]
“aus-“
- aussteigen [to get off/to exit (the bus)]
- aussehen [to look/to apear] (Ex: “She looks beautiful” NOT “She looks at a map)”
“auseinander-“
- auseinandersetzen to deal with/to argue with]
“bei-“
“dar-“
- darstellen [to represent]
“durch-“
- durchlesen [to read through]
- durchgehen [to pass through]
The particle “durch-” is sometimes not separable. For example:
durchqueren[to traverse]
“ein-“
- einsteigen [to step into/to enter (on the bus)]
- einkaufen [to go shopping]
- einschalten [to turn on]
- einladen [to invite]
It is not always separable
“entgegen-“
- entgegenstellen [to oppose]
“entlang-“
- entlangfahren [to drive along]
“fehl-“
- fehlschlagen [to backfire]
“fest-“
“her-“
- herstellen [to manufacture]
“herein-“
- hereintreten [to step in]
“los-“
“mit-“
- mitmachen [to participate]
“nach-“
“über-“
- überstreifen [to shuffle on/slip over]
The particle “über” is normally not separable. For example: überdenken
[reconsider]
“um-“
- umsteigen [change (trains)]
“unter-“
- unterlegen [to place underneath]
The particle “unter-” is sometimes not separable.
“vor-“
- vorlesen [to read aloud]
- vorsehen [to provide]
“vorbei-“
- vorbeimarschieren [to march by]
“weg-“
“weiter-“
- weiterentwickeln [to perfect/improve]
“wieder-“
- wiedergeben [to return (something)]
It is not always separable:
wiederholen [to repeat] (not separable)
“zu-“
“zurück-“
- zurückkommen [to come back]
The special case of particle placement
As we said, the separable particle of the verb is placed at the end of the sentence:
Geht er ins Kino mit?
Is he also going to the movie theater?
But if a complement is taken for granted (it doesn’t provide new information) in street German (although this is not correct) is placed at the end, leaving the particle inside the sentence so that we hear:
Geht er mit ins Kino?
Is he also going to the movie theater?
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