Verb Prefixes
Prefixes can be added to German verbs to alter the meaning of the verb. Some of these prefixes stay attached to the verb, and some separate from the verb in certain conditions. In this lesson you'll learn some very common German verbs that have separable and/or inseparable prefixes.
Flashcards and a quiz are included in the lesson to help you learn the German separable and inseparable verbs that are introduced in this lesson.
Introduction
In German prefixes are added to verbs to give the verbs new meanings. Some of these prefixes always stay attached to the verb, and others separate from the verb in certain cases.
Inseparable verbs
The prefixes be, emp, ent, er, ge, miss, ver, and zer are called inseparable verbs, because these prefixes always stay attached to the verb stem.
Some prefixes such as durch, über, unter, and wieder, are inseparable when they give the verb a figurative meaning, and separable when they are used literally.
Verbs with inseparable prefixes do not add the ge prefix to create the past participle.
Here are some common German verbs with inseparable prefixes. The past tense and past participle are shown in parentheses for strong verbs.
| bedeuten | mean |
| sich beeilen | hurry |
| verbringen | spend (time) |
| entdecken | discover |
| verfolgen | persue, follow |
| erklären | explain |
| beobachten | observe |
| berühren | touch |
| bestehen | pass, persist |
| entstehen | originate |
| gestehen | confess |
| verstehen | understand |
| entfallen | fall out of, slip |
| gefallen | like, be pleasing |
| verfallen | decline, fall into disrepair |
| zerfallen | fall apart |
| verkaufen | sell |
| verlassen (verließ, verlassen) | leave |
| entscheiden (entschied, entschieden) | decide |
| verschütten | spill |
| verstecken | hide |
| versuchen | try, attempt |
| betreten (betrat, betreten) | enter, go into |
| bewegen | move |
| antworten | answer |
| erwarten | expect |
| erstaunen | amaze |
| überzeugen | convince |
Examples
| Ich habe das examen bestanden. | I passed the exam. |
| Er gestand alles. | He confessed everything. |
| Sie wird das Problem verstehen. | She'll understand the problem. |
| Sein Name ist mir entfallen. | His name slipped my mind. |
| Das kleid hat ihr gefallen. | She liked the dress. |
| Das Haus ist verfallen. | The house has fallen into disrepair. |
Separable Prefixes
Some prefixes separate from the verb in certain conditions. These prefixes are made up of prepositions, adverbs, and sometimes also adjectives and verbs.
When the infinitive form of the verb is used with zu, it is added between the prefix and the stem of the verb. For example, anzukommen.
For the past participle, the ge prefix is added between the prefix and the stem of the verb. For example the past participle of ankommen is angekommen.
The prefix of a separable verb is always moved to the end of a main clause, when the verb is in the present tense, past tense, or imperative.
In a dependent clause, the prefix is never separated from the stem of the verb.
Some common separable prefixes are:
| auf | up, open |
| aus | out |
| ein | in, into |
| fort | away, forth |
| heim | home |
| her | toward |
| hin | there, away from |
| mit | with, along |
| nach | after |
| nieder | down |
| vor | before |
| weg | away |
| zu | to, close |
| zurück | back |
| zusammen | together |
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Here are some common German verbs with separable prefixes. The past tense and past participle are shown in parentheses for strong verbs.
| anfangen (fing an, angefangen) | start |
| ausgeben | spend (money) |
| eingeben (gab ein, eingegeben) | enter, input |
| fortgehen | go away, go forth |
| aufheben | pick up (from floor) |
| hochheben | lift |
| aufhören | stop |
| zuhören | listen, listen in |
| zurückkehren | return |
| sich hinlegen | lie down |
| anmachen | turn on (light, etc.) |
| aufmachen | open up |
| ausmachen | turn off (light, etc.) |
| (sich) ausruhen | rest |
| umrühren | stir |
| anschauen | look at |
| abschließen (schloss ab, abgeschlossen) | lock |
| ansehen (sah an, angesehen) | look at |
| aussehen (sah aus, ausgesehen) | appear, seem, look (like) |
| zusehen | watch |
| sich vorstellen | imagine |
| anziehen | put on |
Examples
| Ich gehe oft aus. | I often go out. |
| Geht ihr morgen mit? | Are you going along tomorrow? |
| Sie ging abends spazieren. | They used to go for a walk in the evening. |
| Kommt bald zurück! | Come back soon! |
| Ich will anfangen. | I want to start. |
| Ich bin nicht bereit anzufangen. | I'm not ready to start. |
| Ich werde nicht ausgehen. | I won't go out. |
| Der zug ist endlich angekommen. | The train has finally arrived. |
| Ich hatte es schon aufgemacht. | I had already opened it. |
| Sie hatte das Licht ausgemacht. | She had turned out the light. |
| Ich weiß, dass er bald ankommt. | I know that he's coming soon. |
| Sie weiß, warum ich mitgehen werde. | She knows, why I'm going along. |
| Ich weiß, das er abgeschrieben hatte. | I know that he had cheated. |
Verb Flashcards
Here are some flashcards to help you learn the separable and inseparable verbs included in this lesson.
Quiz
Here's an online quiz to help you learn common German separable and inseparable verbs.