German Verb Prefixes

Part 2: Separable Verb Prefixes Verbalprfixe - Vorsilben bei Zeitwrtern This verb prefix guide, with a prefix chart, is part of Lesson 19 of our of free German for Beginners course. To learn more about German verbs, also see our German Verbs section and the Verb-Lexikon. Also see: Verb Prefixes and Rechtschreibreform

Separable Prefixes 1 Below we have listed the most common separable prefixes in German. For more of the separable prefixes, including less common ones (fehl-, statt-, etc.), see Separable Prefixes 2. Verb Prefixes: Inseparable > Separable 1 > Separable 2 > Dual > Rechtschreibreform > Sample Sentences with verb prefixes

Separable Prefixes 1 Trennbare Prfixe 1

Prefix abfrom

Meaning

Examples abblenden (screen, fade out, dim [lights]) abdanken (abdicate, resign) abkommem (get away) abnehmen (pick up; decrease, reduce) abschaffen (abolish, do away with) abziehen (deduct, withdraw, print [photos]) anbauen (cultivate, grow, plant) anbringen (fasten, install, display) anfangen (begin, start) anhngen (attach) ankommen (arrive) anschauen (look at, examine) aufbauen (build up, put up, add on)

an-

at, to

auf-

on, out, up, un-

aufdrehen (turn on, unscrew, wind up) auffallen (stand out, be noticeable) aufgeben (give up; check [luggage]) aufkommen (arise, spring up; bear [costs]) aufschlieen (unlock; develop [land]) ausout, from ausbilden (educate, train) ausbreiten (extend, spread out) ausfallen (fail, fall out, be canceled) ausgehen (go out) ausmachen (10 meanings!) aussehen (appear, look [like]) auswechseln (exchange, replace [parts])

See The 10 Meanings of the German Verb 'ausmachen'. beialong, with beibringen (teach; inflict) beikommen (get hold of, deal with) beischlafen (have sexual relations with) beisetzen (bury, inter) beitragen (contribute [to]) beitreten (join) durchhalten (withstand, endure; hold out) durchfahren (drive through)

durch-*

through

*The prefix durch- is usually separable, but it can also be inseparable. See Dual Prefixes. einin, into, inward, down einatmen (inhale) einberufen (conscript, draft; convene, summon) einbrechen (break in; break down/through, cave in) eindringen (force entry into, penetrate, besiege) einfallen (collapse; occur to, remind) eingehen (enter, sink in, be received) fortbilden (continue education) fortbringen (take away [for repair], post) fortpflanzen (propagate, reproduce; be transmitted) fortsetzen (continue) forttreiben (drive away) mitarbeiten (cooperate, collaborate) mitbestimmen (co-determine, have a say in) mitbringen (bring along) mitfahren (go/travel with, get a lift) mitmachen (join in, go along with) mitteilen (inform, communicate) nachahmen (imitate, emulate, copy) nachbessern (retouch) nachdrucken (reprint) nachfllen (refill, top up/off) nachgehen (follow, go after; run slow [clock]) nachlassen (slacken, loosen) vorbereiten (prepare) vorbeugen (prevent; bend forward) vorbringen (propose, bring up; bring forward, produce) vorfhren (present, perform) vorgehen (proceed, go on, go first) vorlegen (present, submit) wegbleiben (stay away)

fort-

away, forth, onward

mit-

along, with, co-

nach-

after, copy, re-

vor-

before, forward, pre-, pro-

weg-

away, off

wegfahren (leave, drive off, sail away) wegfallen (be discontinued, cease to apply, be omitted) weghaben (have got done, have got done) wegnehmen (take away) wegtauchen (disappear) zushut/closed, to, towards, upon zubringen (bring/take to) zudecken (cover up, tuck in) zuerkennen (bestow, confer [on]) zufahren (drive/ride towards) zufassen (make a grab for) zulassen (authorize, license) zunehmen (increase, gain, add weight) zurckblenden (flash back [to]) zurckgehen (go back, return) zurckschlagen (hit/strike back) zurckschrecken (shrink back/from, recoil, shy away) zurcksetzen (reverse, mark down, put back) zurckweisen (refuse, repulse, turn back/away) zusammenbauen (assemble) zusammenfassen (summarize) zusammenklappen (fold up, shut) zusammenkommen (meet, come together) zusammensetzen (seat/put together) zusammenstoen (collide, clash)

zurck-

back, re-

zusammen-

together

NOTE: All of the separable verbs form their past participle with ge-, as in zurckgegangen (zurckgehen). NEXT > Separable Prefixes 2 | Dual Prefixes (Separable/Inseparable) Also see: Verb Prefixes and Rechtschreibreform Comments: Separable Prefix Verbs German separable prefix verbs can be compared to English verbs like "call up," "clear out" or "fill in." While in English you can say either "Clear out your drawers" or "Clear your drawers out," in German the separable prefix is almost always at the end, as in the second English example. A German example with anrufen: Heute ruft er seine Freundin an. = Today he's calling his girlfriend (up). This applies to most "normal" German sentences, but in some cases (infinitive forms or in dependent clauses) the "separable" prefix does not separate. See Lesson 19 and the Sample Sentences page for more about this. In spoken German, separable verb prefixes are stressed. All of the separable-prefix verbs form their past participle with ge-. Examples: Sie hat gestern angerufen, She called/telephoned yesterday. Er war schon zurckgegangen, He had already gone back. - For more about German verb tenses, see our German Verbs section.

German Verb Prefixes

Separable and Inseparable Verb Prefixes

Verbalprfixe - Vorsilben bei Zeitwrtern This verb prefix guide, with a prefix chart, is part of Lesson 19 of our of free German for Beginners course. To learn more about German verbs, also see our German Verbs section and the Verb-Lexikon.

Part 1: Inseparable Prefixes Verb Prefixes There are three kinds of verb prefixes in German: (1) separable (trennbar), (2) inseparable (untrennbar), and (3) dual prefixes (usually a preposition) that can be both. Separable prefixes are stressed (betont) in their pronunciation; inseparable prefixes are unstressed (unbetont). In this verb prefix chart, we have divided the prefixes into their three categories. By adding various prefixes to a base verb, German can produce new meanings: kommen > abkommen (digress), ankommen (arrive), bekommen (get), entkommen (escape). (English does the same thing, using Greek and Latin prefixes: form > deform, inform, perform, etc.) Knowing the basic meaning of a verb prefix can be helpful in learning German vocabulary, but not all prefixes have a specific meaning, nor does each prefix always have the same meaning. For instance, knowing the meaning of the prefix ver- may or may not help you understand the meaning of verbs like verschlafen (to oversleep) or versprechen (to promise). The prefix meanings can be interesting and helpful, but they are no substitute for learning vocabulary. If you are not already familiar with how separable and inseparable verbs are used in a sentence, see Lesson 19 and our Sample Sentences page for examples. Also see additional comments at the end of each section of the prefix chart.

Verb Prefixes: Inseparable > Separable > Dual > Rechtschreibreform > Sample Sentences with verb prefixes

Inseparable Prefixes Untrennbare Prfixe

Prefix be-

Meaning like English bemakes verb take a direct object (acc.)

Examples s. befinden (be located) befolgen (follow) befreunden (befriend) begegnen (meet) bekommen (get) bemerken (notice, remark) empfangen (receive) empfehlen (recommend) empfinden (feel) entarten (degenerate)

emp-

sense, receive

ent-

away from

English de-/dis-

entbehren (miss, do without) entdecken (discover) entfallen (elude, slip) entfernen (remove, take out) entkalken (decalcify) entkleiden (disrobe, undress) entkommen (escape, get away) entlassen (discharge, release) entstehen (originate, be formed/created) entwerten (devalue, cancel) erhngen (hang, execute) erschiessen (shoot dead) ertrinken (drown) s. erinnern (remember) erkennen (recognize) erholen (recover, relax) gebrauchen (use, make use of) gedenken (commemorate, intend) gefallen (like) gehren (belong to) gelangen (arrive at) geloben (vow) genesen (recover, recuperate) gestalten (shape, form) gestehen (confess) gewhren (grant, give, offer) missachten (disregard, disdain) missbrauchen (abuse, misuse) misstrauen (mistrust) missverstehen (misunderstand) verachten (despise) verbilden (miseducate) verderben (go bad, spoil) s. verfahren (go astray, get lost) verkommen (go to ruin, become run down) verschlafen (oversleep) verdrngen (drive out) verduften (lose its aroma) verlassen (leave, abandon) verlieren (lose) verbieten (forbid) vergeben (forgive) vergessen (forget) verbinden (bandage, link, tie) vergrern (enlarge) verhaften (arrest) versprechen (promise) vollenden (complete, finish) vollfhren (execute, perform) vollstrecken (enforce, execute)

er-

fatal, dead

like English re-

ge-

--

miss-

English mis-

ver-

bad, awry English mis-

lose, away/out

English for-

???

voll-*

full, complete

*NOTE: Some verbal expressions with voll treat voll as an adverb rather than a prefix, and are spelled with the adverb voll separated from the verb, even in the infinitive form. Examples include: voll drhnen (dope/tank up), voll essen (gorge oneself), voll machen (fill [up]).

zer-

collapse, shatter, shred

zerbrechen (shatter) zerreissen (rip up, shred) zerstren (destroy)

NOTE: Inseparable-prefix verbs do not add the normal past participle prefix ge- in the perfect tenses. See the examples below. NEXT > Separable Prefixes | Dual Prefixes Also see: Verb Prefixes and Rechtschreibreform Comments: Inseparable Prefix Verbs There are verbs in English that are constructed and used much like German inseparable-prefix verbs: contend, extend, pretend, and intend are all based on the verb "tend." A similar example in German is the verb finden (find). By adding various inseparable prefixes, German alters the meaning of finden to create new meanings: sich befinden (be located), empfinden (feel), or erfinden (invent). As you can see, many common German verbs are inseparable-prefix verbs. German verbs with inseparable prefixes do not add the normal past participle prefix ge- in the perfect tenses. Examples: bekommen (to get) hat/hatte bekommen; erwarten (to expect, await) hat/hatte erwartet; verstehen (to understand) hat/hatte verstanden. For more about German verb tenses, see our German Verbs section

German for Beginners Lesson 19

German Verbs: Separable and Inseparable Prefixes Verben: Trennbare und untrennbare Prfixe

Wann fngt man an, das Haus zu sanieren? When are they going to start renovating the building? Foto H. Flippo

Many common verbs in German belong to a category called separable-prefix verbs or inseparable-prefix verbs. In general, they are conjugated just like all other German verbs, but you need to know what happens to the prefix when you use these verbs. Separable prefixes, as the name implies, usually (but not always) separate from the basic verb stem. German separable-prefix verbs can be compared to English verbs like "call up," "clear out" or "fill in." While in English you can say either "Clear out your drawers" or "Clear your drawers out," in German the separable prefix is almost always at the end, as in the second English example. A German example with anrufen: Heute ruft er seine Freundin an. = Today he's calling his girlfriend (up). Commonly used separable prefixes include: ab-, an-, auf-, aus-, ein-, vor- and zusammen-. Many common verbs use separable prefixes: abdrehen (to turn/switch off), anerkennen (to recognize [officially]), aufleuchten (to light up), ausgehen (to go out), sich einarbeiten (to get used to the work), vorlesen (to read aloud), zusammenfassen (to summarize). There are three situations in which the "separable" prefix doesn't separate: (1) in the infinitive form (i.e., with modals and in the future tense), (2) in dependent clauses, and (3) in the past participle (with ge-). An example of a dependent clause situation would be: "Ich wei nicht, wann er ankommt." (I don't know when he's arriving.) See below for more about past participles with separable prefixes. In spoken German, separable verb prefixes are stressed (betont): AN-kommen. All of the separable-prefix verbs form the past participle with ge-, with the prefix located in front of and attached to the past participle. Examples: Sie hat gestern angerufen, She called/telephoned yesterday. Er war schon zurckgefahren, He had already gone back.

For more about the separable-prefix verbs, see our Separable Verb Prefixes page. For more about German verb tenses in general, see our German Verbs section. Here are some sample sentences in various tenses with the verb anfangen, with the separable prefix in red: | Bookmark | Make this Site Your Homepage! Print this Page

Sample Sentences with the separable-prefix verb anfangen, to begin, start

DEUTSCH PresentTense Wann fangen Sie an? Ich fange heute an. When do you begin? I start today. Pres.PerfectTense Wann haben sie angefangen? When did they begin? PastPerfectTense Wann hatten Sie angefangen? When had you begun? PastTense Wann fingen wir an? When did we begin? FutureTense Wir werden wieder anfangen. We will begin again. WithModals Knnen wir heute anfangen? Can we begin today? ENGLISH

Inseparable prefixes include be-, emp-, ent-, er-, ver- and zer-. Many common German verbs use such prefixes: beantworten (to answer), empfinden (to sense, feel), entlaufen (to get/run away), errten (to blush), verdrngen (to oust, replace), zerstreuen (to disperse, scatter). The inseparable verb prefixes remain attached to the stem verb in all situations: "Ich verspreche nichts." - "Ich kann nichts versprechen." In spoken German, inseparable verb prefixes are unstressed (unbetont). Their past participles do not use ge- ("Ich habe nichts versprochen."). For more about the inseparable-prefix verbs, see our Inseparable Verb Prefixes page. For a more detailed look at both separable and inseparable-prefix verbs in German (as well as the "variable" or "dual" prefixes), see our Verb Prefixes Guide with prefix charts and sample sentences.

Lesson 7 - Separable Verbs

A characteristic feature of German is its ability to create verbs with new meanings through the addition of prefixes to nouns, For example: adjectives, or other verbs.

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:
Same Verb with Different Prefixes

Verb

Meaning

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

zurckkommen

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 example:

Inseparable Prefixes

Prefix

Example Verb

Meaning

bekommen bebesuchen

to get/receive

to visit/attend

empfehlen empempfinden

to recommend

to feel

entlassen ententscheiden

to discharge/fire

to decide/determine

erfinden ererwarten

to invent/make-up

to expect/anticipate

gehorchen gegestatten

to obey

to permit/allow

missachtest missmisstrauen

to disobey/disregard

to mistrust/suspect

vergessen ververstehen

to forget

to understand

zerstren zerzerkratzen

to destroy

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:
Separable Prefixes

Prefix

Example Verb

Meaning

ankommen ananrufen

to arrive

to phone somebody

aufstehen aufaufhren

to wake up

to stop/cease

ausgehen ausaussprechen

to go out

to pronounce

beibringen beibeitragen

to teach

to add/contribute

einkaufen eineinladen

to go shopping

to invite

fortfahren fortfortgehen

to continue/proceed

to go away

mit-

mitgehen

to go along

mitarbeiten

to collaborate

nachahmen nachnacharbeiten

to imitate/copy

to rework/revise

vorstellen vorvorbereiten

to present/introduce

to prepare/set up

wegfahren wegweglaufen

to drive away

to run away

zuhren zuzunehmen

to listen

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 supermarket

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:

Prefixes that can be Separable or Inseparable

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 unarmen uns (unarmen) - 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.

German verbs
Separable & inseparable prefix verbs
About verb prefixes | Differences in usage | Separable prefixes | Inseparable prefixes | Dual prefixes

Other verb topics: The infinitive | The past participle | The present participle | Weak verbs | Strong verbs | Mixed verbs List of strong & irregular verbs & their forms | More on German verbs: GERMAN GRAMMAR INDEX

About separable & inseparable prefix verbs

Verbs from nouns, adjectives, & other verbs A characteristic feature of German is its ability to create verbs with new meanings through the addition of prefixes. Many verbs in German are created from the addition of prefixes to nouns, adjectives, or other verbs. For instance, from the noun Urlaub, vacation, comes the verb beurlauben, to grant a leave. And from the adjective einfach, simple, comes the verb vereinfachen, to simplify. When added to verbs, prefixes create new verbs with their own meanings. Sometimes the new word is similar in meaning with root verb: fragen, to ask, becomes befragen, to question, or nachfragen, to inquire, for example. Sometimes the newly created verb seems only somewhat related to the root verb or is even opposite in meaning: kaufen, to buy becomes verkaufen, to sell. Quite frequently, however, prefixes change the meaning of a verb so substantially, they have no apparent relationship to the meaning of the root verb: hren to hear becomes aufhren, to stop, cease; fahren, to drive becomes erfahren to experience. Comparison with English phrasal verbs While the different meanings that arise through the addition of prefixes may at first seem illogical to English speakers, it is important to note that English has similar types of verb phrases. The verb to stand is quite different in meaning from to stand out, to stand by, to stand back, or to stand in. And the verb to call is very different from to call up, to call out, to call for, or to call off. The major difference between the two languages is that in English an additional word(s) are used to complete the meaning of the verb, while in German these words are prefixes attached to the verb's infinitive form.

About verb prefixes | Differences in usage | Separable prefixes | Inseparable prefixes | Dual prefixes The infinitive | The past participle | The present participle | Weak verbs | Strong verbs | Mixed verbs List of strong & irregular verbs | For more verb topics, see the GERMAN GRAMMAR INDEX

Separable vs. inseparable prefix verbs: Usage

As the name implies, inseparable prefix verbs have affixes at the start of the word that remain attached to the root in all conjugations and tenses. By contrast, the prefixes of separable prefix verbs are detached from the verb root when the verb is conjugated as a finite verb in the sentence (i.e. the one that agrees with the subject of the sentence) in the present and simple past tenses:

Inseparable prefix verbs PRESENT TENSE:

Separable prefix verbs

Morgen besuche ich meine Eltern. Sie erfhrt das Stadtleben. Er unterschreibt den Brief. Gestern besuchte ich meine Eltern. Sie erfuhr das Stadtleben. Er unterschrieb den Brief.

Morgen kaufe ich ein. Der Film fngt um 19.15 Uhr an. Wir nehmen immer daran teil. Gestern kaufte ich ein. Der Film fing um 19.15 Uhr an. Wir nahmen immer daran teil.

SIMPLE PAST TENSE:

Another important difference occurs in the past participle form. In the past participles of separable prefix verbs, the -ge- prefix appears between the prefix and the verb root. However, the past participles of inseparable prefix verbs completely omit the ge- prefix in their past participles and retain the inseparable prefixes in place of the ge-.
Inseparable prefix verbs PERFECT TENSE: Separable prefix verbs

Gestern habe ich sie besucht. Sie hat das Stadtleben erfahren. Er hat den Brief unterschrieben.

Gestern habe ich eingekauft. Der Film hat schon angefangen. Wir haben immer daran teilgenommen.

In infinitive constructions that use zu, the zu likewise appears between the prefix and verb root of separable prefix verbs, and these are written together as a single word. Inseparable prefix verbs, on the other hand, behave in these infinitive constructions just like verbs that have no prefixes..
Inseparable prefix verbs INFINITIVE CLAUSE: Separable prefix verbs

Ich habe vor, meine Eltern zubesuchen. Um den Brief zu unterschreiben, brauche ich einen Stift.

Anstatt heute einzukaufen, bleibe ich zu Hause. Wir haben keine Lust, an der Sache teilzunehmen.

Like inseparable prefixes, separable prefixes remain attached to the verb root in the verb's infinitive form, and when the finite verb appears at the end of a dependent clause.
Inseparable prefix verbs Separable prefix verbs

Infinitive

Willst du deine Eltern besuchen? Er wird den Brief unterschreiben. Ich sage, dass ich Peter besuche. Als er den Brief unterschrieb, klingelte das Telefon.

Wo wirst du morgen einkaufen? Wir wollen immer daran teilnehmen. Er fragte, ob ich morgen einkaufe. Wenn du daran teilnimmst, lernst du viel.

Dependent clauses

See also The infinitive, The past participle, Infinitive constructions.

About verb prefixes | Differences in usage | Separable prefixes | Inseparable prefixes | Dual prefixes The infinitive | The past participle | The present participle | Weak verbs | Strong verbs | Mixed verbs List of strong & irregular verbs | For more verb topics, see the GERMAN GRAMMAR INDEX

Inseparable prefixes
Inseparable prefix verbs are verbs whose initial syllable is never detached from the verb root in any tense or conjugated form. These are always unstressed syllables and usually, though not always, are morphemes (i.e. units of meaning) that cannot stand as separate words. Prefixes that are always inseparable are: be-, emp-, ent-, er-, ge-, miss-, ver-, & zer-. The most common of these is ver-. Though the meanings of these prefixes are not fixed, they encompass a range of connotations that can be described in general categories. These delineations are not exhaustive and do not include every possible meaning of a prefix, but can be helpful in understanding the gist of a verb.
Prefix Meaning 1) Makes intransitive verbs or verbs with prepositional objects transitive, or shifts the action to a different object. 2) Added to nouns to create verbs with the idea of providing something. (Often ig- is added.) 3) Added to adjectives to create verbs with the idea of bestowing that quality. (Often -ig- is added.) Examples zaubern - to do magic | bezaubern - to enchant Ich beantworte die Frage. (Ich antworte auf die Frage.) Er beschenkt Sie. ( Er schenkt Ihnen etwas.) die Nachricht message | benachrichtigento notify die Waffe weapon | bewaffnento arm

be-

ruhig quiet, still | beruhigento calm taub numb | betubento numb, drug trb dreary | betrbento sadden

Note: Approximately 25% of all inseparable prefix verbs begin with be-.

ent-

1) Added to verbs to convey the idea of escaping or moving away. 2) Creates verbs from nouns, adjectives, or verbs. Indicates the removal of something. ent- often corresponds to English un-, deor dis-.

fliehen to flee | entfliehento escape, flee (from) kommen to come | entkommento escape, come away (from) laden to load | entladento unload decken to cover | entdeckento discover fern far | entfernento remove, delete die Fessel chain | entfesselnto unchain

Note: Approximately 15% of all inseparable prefix verbs begin with ent-.

emp-

A variation of ent- that is used before some verb roots beginning with f. 1) Creates verbs from nouns or other verbs. Conveys the conclusion or end achievement of an action. 2) Creates verbs from adjectives. Conveys the idea of becoming something or giving something a quality. Often adds an umlaut to the root, where possible.

fehlen to be lacking | empfehlento recommend finden to find | empfindento perceive, sense finden to find | erfindento invent lernen to learn | erlernento learn, acquire trinken to drink | ertrinkento drown ganz whole | ergnzento complete niedrig low | erniedrigento humiliate neu new | erneuernto renew, revive

er-

Note: Approximately 10% of all inseparable prefix verbs begin with er-.

ge-

ge- is rare as a verb prefix. It carries no distinct meaning. In many instances, the root verb is linguistically extinct. Like the English prefix mis-, the German miss- indicates failure. It creates a verb that stands as a negative opposite to its positive or neutral root. 1) Added to verbs to express idea of completion, waning, or going away.

fallen to fall | gefallento be pleasing --- | geschehen to occur --- | gelingen to succeed -- | misslingento fail fallen to fall | missfallento displease billigen to approve | missbilligento disapprove handeln to act | misshandelnto maltreat, abuse brennen to burn | verbrennenburn (to ashes, to death), scorch hungern to be hungry | verhungernto starve geben to give | vergebento give away jagen to hunt | verjagento chase away

miss-

ver-

2) Added to verbs to express the idea of doing something to excess or wrongly, or to convey the opposite meaning from its root. 3) Creates verbs from adjectives or nouns that convey the idea of becoming something or giving something a quality.

lernen to learn | verlernento unlearn, forget fhren to lead | verfhrento seduce achten to esteem | verachtento despise bergen to salvage | verbergento conceal, hide Deutsch | verdeutschento translate into German der Stein stone | versteinernto turn to stone die Ursache cause | verursachento cause einfach simple | vereinfachento simplify deutlich clear | verdeutlichento elucidate das Silber silver | versilbernto silver plate der Krper body | verkrpernto embody

4) Creates verbs from nouns to convey the idea of providing something.

Note: Approximately 45% of all inseparable prefix verbs begin with ver-.

zer-

Creates verbs from nouns, adjectives, or other verbs to indicate destruction, usually "into pieces".

das Glied member, limb | zergliedernto dismember klein small | zerkleinernto reduce to small bits stren to bother | zerstrento destroy teilen to divide | zerteilento disperse

There are a handful of prefixes which may be separable or inseparable. These include: durch-, ber-, um-, and unter-. The distinctions in usage are the same as the distinctions between inseparable and separable prefixes discussed below.

About verb prefixes | Differences in usage | Separable prefixes | Inseparable prefixes | Dual prefixes The infinitive | The past participle | The present participle | Weak verbs | Strong verbs | Mixed verbs List of strong & irregular verbs | For more verb topics, see the GERMAN GRAMMAR INDEX

Separable prefixes
Separable prefix verbs are verbs whose initial syllable is detached from the verb root in finite or inflected forms. These are always stressed syllables and usually, though not always, are morphemes (i.e. units of meaning) that can stand as separate words. These are most frequently prepositions (e.g, ab, an, auf, aus, bei, mit, nach, statt, vor, zu) or adverbs (e.g., fort, los, nieder, vorbei, weg, zurck, zusammen). However, nouns and adjectives can also serve as separable prefixes (e.g., teilnehmen, festhalten). Because the separable prefixes are typically words with distinct meanings, their meanings as

prefixes are often more stable and predictable than the connotations of the inseparable prefixes. Nonetheless, the possible meanings given below are not exhaustive; they are meant as a general reference. Here are some of the more common separable prefixes and their frequent meanings.
Prefix Meaning Conveys "away", "down", "off", with the idea of finishing or completing an action Examples fliegen to fly | abfliegen to depart (of airplane) nehmen to take | abnehmen to take down/off lcheln to smile | anlchelnto smile at schauen to look | anschauento look at probieren to try | anprobierento try on tasten to touch | antastento touch on trinken to drink | antrinkento start drinking klren- to clarify | aufklrento clear up essen to eat | aufessento eat up munter lively | aufmunternto liven up brechen to break | aufbrechento break open, to set out (on a trip) gleichen to equal | ausgleichento even out rufen to call | ausrufento cry out radieren to erase | ausradierento erase (completely) atmen to breathe | einatmento inhale leiten to lead | einleitento introduce spielen to play | einspielento warm up

ab-

an- Conveys "at", "on", or the idea of starting

an action or doing something partially.

auf-

Conveys "up" or the idea of a sudden start

aus-

Conveys "out" with the idea of completing an action

ein-

Derived from the preposition "in". Conveys "in" or the idea of getting used to something

los-

Conveys "away" or the idea of beginning something

fahren to drive | losfahrento set out (on a trip) reien to rip | losreiento tear away werden to become | loswerdento get rid of nehmen to take | mitnehmento take along singen to sing | mitsingen to join in singing machen to do | mitmachento participate schreiben to write | vorschreibento stipulate singen to sing | vorsingento sing to wrmen to warm | vorwrmento preheat

mit-

Conveys "along", "away", or the idea of accompanying or cooperating

vor- Conveys the idea of demonstrating, going

forward, or preceding

weg-

Conveys "away"

schicken to send | wegschickento send away fhren to lead | wegfhren to lead away denken to think | zurckdenkento think back reisen to travel | zurckreisento travel back schrumpfen to shrink | zusammenschrumpfento shrivel up kleben to adhere | zusammenklebento stick together brechen to break | zusammenbrechento collapse, cave in

zurck-

Conveys "back", the idea of returning

zusammen-

Conveys "up" or "together", the idea of reducing to a focal point

About verb prefixes | Differences in usage | Separable prefixes | Inseparable prefixes | Dual prefixes The infinitive | The past participle | The present participle | Weak verbs | Strong verbs | Mixed verbs List of strong & irregular verbs | For more verb topics, see the GERMAN GRAMMAR INDEX

Prefixes that are separable or inseparable

Some prefixes can be used as separable prefixes or inseparable prefixes. The most common of these are durch-, ber-, um-, unter-, and wider-. There is a usually a clear distinction in meaning between those used separably and those use inseparably. The separable prefixes are usually more literal in meaning than the inseparable ones. It is also quite easy to distinguish between the two because the separable prefixes are always stressed and the inseparable prefixes are always unstressed. (Underlining indicates word stress.)
Inseparable prefix verbs Separable prefix verbs

durch-

Most compounds with the durch- prefix are either separable or exist in both forms. Means 'through', 'without interruption', or indicates the conquering of obstacles or denotes completion durchlebento experience durchdenken to think over Ich habe es nicht richtig durchdacht. durchschlafento sleep uninterrupted durchfallento fall through; fail Er ist in der Prfung durchgefallen.

ber-

About 75% of verbs with the ber- prefix are inseparable. Usually combined with transitive verbs, indicates 'over', 'up', or movement over a boundary. bersetzento translate bermalento paint over Die Grafittis bermalen wir mit grauer Farbe. berordnento give precedence to berkochen to boil over Die Kartoffeln kochen ber.

um-

um- is equally frequent as a separable and an inseparable prefix. Means 'around', or indicates movement in a different/opposite direction or to a different side, or a change of some kind. umgebento surround umgehen to go around umarmen to embrace Wir umarmen uns. umschulento retrain umwenden to turn over umsteigen to change (buses, etc.) Wir steigen in Kln um.

unter-

unter- is equally frequent as a separable and an inseparable prefix. It is almost always transitive or reflexive. Means 'under', 'among' and can imply 'at the bottom of a text'. In a few words, the meaning is indistinct. unterschreibento sign unterdrcken to suppress unterschtzen to underestimate Der Lehrer unterschtzt ihre Intelligenz. unterkommento find accomodation untertauchen to submerge untergehen to sink Die Sonne geht unter.

wider-

With a few exceptions, most verbs with the prefix wider- are separable. Means 'against', 'toward', or 'back'. widersprechen to contradict widerrufen to take back, revoke Der Angeklagte widerruft sein Gestndnis. widerhallen to echo, reverberate widerspiegeln to reflect Kunst spiegelt den Zeitgeist wider.

Sometimes two verbs exist that as infinitives appear to be identical, except that one has a separable prefix and the other an inseparable prefix. However, differences lie in both meaning and also pronunciation; as with other verbs with prefixes, separable prefixes are stressed, inseparable unstressed.
Inseparable prefix verbs umschreiben to paraphrase, circumscribe Er hat den Kern des Problems umschrieben. He outlined the heart of the problem. berspringento skip, jump Er berspringt die Hrde. He jumped the hurdle. durchschauento see through Separable prefix verbs umschreibento rewrite Ich habe den Artikel umgeschrieben. I rewrote the article. berspringento cross over Die Gewalt springt in Nachbarstaaten ber. The violence is spreading to neighboring countries. durchschauen to look over, look through

Er durchschaut ihre Lgen. He sees through her lies.

Wir schauen die Bcher durch. We're looking over the books.

German
abrumen anfagen anhaben anrufen aufmachen ausgeben beibringen einkaufen

English
to clean or clean up to start to have on to call on the phone to open to spend money to teach to shop or buy

einladen fernsehen herkommen losgehen mitbringen mitkommen rausbringen staubsaugen vorhaben vorschlagen den Mll rausbringen das Zimmer aufrumen

to invite to watch TV to come from to start to bring along or with to come along to bring out to vacum to plan or do something to suggest to take out the trash to clean your room

6.6 Separable verbs

In this chapter we have encountered verbs such as "umsteigen" ("to change (trains etc.)"), "aussteigen" ("to get out (of a train etc.)"), "einsteigen" ("to get on (trains etc.)") and "ankommen" ("to arrive") which are known as separable verbs.

This is because they can be separated into two parts - a prefix and a main verb. Most prefixes are prepositions (as in all the cases listed above), but they are occasionally adverbs, nouns, or adjectives.
Grammar 5: Components of a separable verb

Prefix ab (from) an (at) aus (out of) ein (in) um

+ Verb + fahren (to travel) + kommen (to come) + steigen (to climb) + steigen (to climb) + steigen (to climb)

= Sep. Verb = abfahren (to depart) = ankommen (to arrive) = aussteigen (to get out) = einsteigen (to get in) = umsteigen (to change)

Word order in separable verbs If the separable verb is the first (and often only) verb in a sentence or clause, these two elements separate. The main verb - also called the stem - assumes its normal position in the sentence, but the prefix is placed right at the end. Look at the following examples:
Grammar 6: Separable verbs in a normal clause

Verb abfahren

Clause Wann fhrst du ab? ("When do you depart?") Wann kommt der Zug an? ("When does the train arrive?") Er steigt in Mnchen aus. ("He gets out in Munich.")

ankommen

aussteigen

einsteigen

Bitte steigen Sie ein! ("Please get in!") Sie steigen hier um. ("You change here.")

umsteigen

But if the separable verb is the second verb in a sentence, it does not split up and behaves just like any other verb. Note too that when a separable verb is the second verb in the sentence, it will always remain in the infinitive form. The separable verb will be the second verb in a sentence when it follows what is known as a modal verb. These verbs will be explained in detail in Chapter 8, but for now you should note that we have already met three of them: "mssen" ("to have to"), "wollen" ("to want") and "mgen" ("to like") - although we have only encountered the latter in the form "ich mchte" ("I would like").
Grammar 7: Separable verbs after a modal verb

Modal verb mssen

Clause Wann mssen Sie abfahren? ("When do you have to depart?") Wo wollen Sie umsteigen? ("Where do you want to change?") Ich mchte jetzt aussteigen. ("I want to get out now.")

wollen

mgen

Which prefixes are The following common prefixes are always separable when attached to a main verb:
Grammar 8: Separable prefixes

separable?

ab("away") aus("out")

an("starting") bei("joining")

auf("up") da(r)-

ein("in") her("towards") nach("after") vorbei("past") zurck("back")

entgegen("towards") los("starting") nieder("down") weg("away") zusammen("together")

hin("away") mit("with") vor("ahead") zu("on")

The following prefixes are separable when they precede certain verbs and inseparable when they precede others:
Grammar 9: Occasionally separable prefixes

durch("through") um("change")

hinter("behind") unter("under")

ber("over") wieder("again")

Don't worry if you can't remember all of these - this will take some time. For the moment you should try to remember which verbs that we encounter during this course are separable and how they should be used. We will always indicate which verbs are separable in our vocabulary lists.

Test You can test yourself on separable verbs by clicking on the two bars below:

yourself!

Chapter 6.7: Places and prepositions

VERB PREFIXES Verbs can have prefixes. There are two types of verb prefixes: separable and inseparable. Often, prefixes change the meaning of the verb. A. INSEPARABLE PREFIXES Inseparable prefixes are not separated from the verb. The important ones are: be-, emp-, ent-, er-, ge-, ver-, zer-. Generally, they do not really have a meaning by themselves, but they change the meaning of the verb they are attached to. They are not stressed in pronunciation. Beispiele bestehen bestehen empfinden entlassen erhren gehren missachten verraten (to stand - to exist) (to find - to feel, sense) (to let/allow - to let go, dismiss) (to hear/listen - to yield to) (to hear/listen - to belong) (to acknowledge/respect - to ignore) (to guess - to betray, give away)

emp- finden entergelassen hren hren

miss- achten verraten

wider- sprechen widersprechen (to speak - to contradict) zerstren zerstren (to bother, disturb - to destroy)

B. SEPARABLE PREFIXES In a main clause, separable prefixes are separated from the verb and move to the very end. Potentially, there are many seperable prefixes. The most important ones are: ab-, an-, auf-, aus-, ein-, fort-, heim-, her-, hin-, mit-, nach-, nieder-, vor-, weg-, zu-, zurck-, zusammen-. As can be

seen, many are prepositions or adverbs, and have a meaning by themselves. They are stressed in pronunciation. Beispiele abanaufauseinfortheimherhinmitnachniedervorwegzuzurckschreiben abschreiben kommen ankommen hren aufhren (to write - to copy) (to come - to arrive) (to listen - to stop/end) (to switch - to turn off) (to hit - to smash in) (to drive - to continue, go on) (to go - to go home, return) (to give - to give up) (to throw - to throw down) (to take - to take along) (to give - to give in) (to beat/hit - to knock down) (to do/make - to demonstrate) (to run - to run away/flee) (to listen - to listen closely) (to give - to return/give back)

schalten ausschalten schlagen einschlagen fahren gehen geben werfen fortfahren heimgehen hergeben hinwerfen

nehmen mitnehmen geben nachgeben

schlagen niederschlagen machen laufen hren geben vormachen weglaufen zuhren zurckgeben

zusammen- halten

zusammenhalten (to hold - to hold together)

HINT: Because there is only a small and limited number of inseperable prefixes, knowing these and assuming that everythign else is separable should make it easy working with them. (However, see also the note below).

WORD ORDER Beispiele (Prsens) 1. Inseparable [zerstren (to destroy)] a. Main clause: Der Sturm zerstrt sein Haus. b. Dependent clause: Er sieht, wie der Sturm sein Haus zerstrt. 2. Separable [zurck*gehen [to return, go back)] a. Main clause: Er geht um 8 Uhr zurck. b. Dependent clause: Sie sagte uns, da er um 8 Uhr zurckgeht. 3. Separable, with modal verb [ab*schreiben (to copy)] a. Main clause: Ihr sollt nicht abschreiben! b. Dependent clause: Wit ihr, da ihr nicht abschreiben sollt? 4. Separable, Imperative [ein*schalten (to tswitch on)] Schalt' das Licht ein! 5. Question [mit*kommen (to come along)] Kommst du ins Kino mit? NOTE: Some prefixes are both separable and inseparable (occasionally even with the same verb). In this case, they have different meanings. Beispiel: bersetzen

separable = to ferry across (a river): Er setzte ber und ging weiter. = He ferried across (the river) and walked on. inseparable = to translate: Er bersetzte den Satz. = He translated the sentence.

Somewhat related...: Prepositions in English There is a debate concerning the use of a preposition at the end of a sentence. Phrases ending in a preposition can be heard frequently on radio and in television commercials. And then there is the tale of the little boy who was ill and confined to his bed. His mother decided to read to him and carried a book to his bedside. The boy exclaimed, "What did you bring that book that I don't like to be read to out of up for?"

BUNGEN If you cannot enter special characters directly: * Cut & Paste the appropriate character from here: - - - - - - * Or, for the "" use the capital letter "B" (or an "sz"), for umlauts use these transcriptions: = ae; = AE; = ue etc.
Praefixe Retain a copy of Done! recipient,realnam 1 #ffffc0 grammar.htm

A. Machen Sie Stze. (Prsens) 1. wir / aufessen / alles 2. ich / auch / mitfahren 3. er / den Brief / empfangen 4. Petra / verkaufen / ihr Haus 5. Rolf / um 8 Uhr / aufstehen 6. Kinder / alles / nachmachen 7. du / den warmen Mantel / anziehen / ?
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Separable Verbs I: Draw the line between prefixes and core verbs
Posted by Sandra Rsner3 Comments
DEC

12010

With this post I would like to start a series on German separable verbs. In this introductory post I explain how you can distinguish separable verbs from inseparable verbs. The main difference between separable and inseparable verbs is that separable verbs consist of two words: a core verb and a semi-prefix, whereas inseparable verbs consist of a core verb and a real prefix. Lets have a closer look at the some examples in order to explore what I mean by core verb, semi-prefix and real prefix. Separable verbs The verbs nehmen (to take), laufen (to walk), and geben (to give) are so called core verbs because they form the basis of separable verbs. In order to modify their meanings you can add the following semi-prefixes to them: anaufabThis results in the separable verbs below:
anlaufen annehmen (to start; to put into) auflaufen (to assume; to accept) aufnehmen (to gather; to host) abnehmen (to expire) (to hand in, to emit) (to go aground) ablaufen (to give up) abgeben angeben (to boast; to state) aufgeben

(to take off, to loose weight)

I should mention that the meaning of each separable verb does highly depend on the context in which it is used, thus, I only give the translations, which I consider most common. I call the prefixes of separable verbs semi-prefixes because these prefixes are indeed independent words in German. That is, they can and do exist as separate words. Consequently, you can isolate them from the core verb when using them in a sentence. These semi-prefixes are always prepositions, adverbs or adjectives. I will discuss all kinds of semi-prefixes in detail in my following posts. Inseparable verbs In comparison to separable verbs, inseparable verbs have real prefixes. That is, these prefixes canNOT and do NOT exist as independent words in German because they have no meaning. Consequently, you cannot separate them from the core verb when using them in a sentence. Compare these examples: verbeverlaufen vernehmen (to get lost) sich belaufen (to question) benehmen (to behave) (to tot up) (to betake) vergeben (to allot, to forgive) begeben

Whenever you come across a verb that contains one of the following prefixes, you may be sure that it is an INSEPARABLE verb: be- : bekommen (to get), belgen (to lie to), beraten (to advise) ent- : entgehen (to evade), entstehen (to emerge), entsprechen (to correspond)

er- : erklren (to explain), erhalten (to obtain), erkennen (to realize; to recognize) ge- : gebrauchen (to apply), gehren (to belong), gefallen (tp please, to like) miss- : missachten (disregard), misshandeln (to abuse), misstrauen (to distrust) ver- : verkaufen (to sell), versprechen (to promise; to make a slip of the tongue), versuchen (to try) zer- : zerbrechen (to shatter), zerstren (to destroy), zerschlagen (to dash to pieces)

Inseparable and Separable Verbs with Video

11/05/2011|German Grammar, Learn German Videos|1 Comment| The German verb sehen to see|German Vocabulary: Oceania Countries in German

What is a Separable and Inseparable Verb in German? A separable verb in German is a verb with a German prefix. A prefix is an additional word such as an (on, to, by) or ein (on) which is added to the beginning of a verb to change its meaning. For example: anschauen, eingeben, umziehen

An inseparable verb follows the same pattern then the separable verb. Only certain prefixes make the verb inseparable. For example: behalten, entdecken, vergessen The different prefixes: There are many words that can be added to a verb to change its meaning and result in a German separable or inseparable verb. The separable prefixes are: ab-, an-, auf-, aus-, bei-, durch-, ein-, los-, mit-, nach-, her-, hin-, um-, vor-, weg-, zu-, zurckThe inseparable prefixes are: be-, ent-, er-, ge-, hinter-, miss-, ber-, ver-, zer-