Once, while in Germany, I invited a boy whom I liked very much for coffee. As we approached the table I wanted to suggest to him that he make himself comfortable, which in German is hinsetzen (sit down). Except that in my haste, instead of “willst du dich hinsetzen?” I said… “willst du dich umsetzen?“. Instead of offering him to sit down, I asked him to sit down! He then looked at me a little puzzled. Only after a while did I realize that I had used the wrong prefix, which changed the meaning of my statement. Despite my best intentions, my words sounded a little unkind. This experience showed me how one innocent prefix can completely change the meaning of a sentence. That’s why knowledge of separable verbs in German is so important! In this article, I will tell you how not to get lost in prefixes and not make similar mistakes.
- What are separable verbs (trennbare Verben)?
- What prefixes do we have in German?
- Separate verbs (trennbare Verben) – example sentences
- Inseparable verbs (untrennbare Verben) – example sentences
- Separable and inseparable compound verbs with modal verbs
- Separable and inseparable verbs in the past tense
- How best to learn compound verbs
What are separable verbs (trennbare Verben)?
German has one very distinctive feature, which is the creation of adhesions and compounds. The ability to combine several elements into one long word makes it possible to create words such as Binnenschifffahrtskuterkajutenschlüssel (key from the cabin of an inland waterway cutter).
This applies not only to nouns, but also to verbs.
Compound verbs consist of two elements: a basic verb and a prefix. The prefix in such verbs can change or enrich the meaning of the basic verb:
| prefix + verb = compound verb |
| e.g. zurück (back) + gehen (go) = zurückgehen (go back) |
Separate compound verbs are characterized by the fact that in a sentence, the prefix separates from the verb and moves to the end of the sentence or another part of the sentence. For example, in the sentence Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf (I get up at 7 am), the prefix auf appears at the end, separating from the verb stehen.
It is worth mentioning that not all compound verbs are separable. There are also inseparable compound verbs, such as bekommen (to receive), which are never separated (the prefix always remains connected to the verb).
Thus, compound verbs are divided into:
- separably compound (trennbare Verben),
- inseparable compound (untrennbare Verben).
What prefixes do we have in German?
Whether a verb is separable or inseparable can usually be recognized by its prefix.
- Verbs with the prefixes ab-, an-, auf-, aus-, ein-, mit-, nach-, statt-, teil-, vor-, weg, zu-, zurück-, and zusammen- are always separable compound.
- Verbs with the prefixes be-, emp-, ent-, er-, miss-, ver-, and zer- are inseparable compound.
- Verbs with the prefixes durch-, über-, um-, and unter- may be either separable or inseparable compound.
We can also recognize this by where the accent falls.
- In separable compound verbs, the accent always falls on the prefix, e.g. aufmachen (to open), ausgehen (to leave), anfangen (to begin).
- In inseparable compound verbs, the accent falls on the subject of the verb. For example: umfahren (to bypass, go around), durchsuchen (to search), verstehen (to understand).
Separate verbs (trennbare Verben) – example sentences
As I mentioned earlier, separable compound verbs are those with the prefixes: ab-, an-, auf-, aus-, ein-, mit-, nach-, statt-, teil-, vor-, weg-, zu-, zurück-, and zusammen-.
This group of prefixes has an independent meaning, e.g. zurück means “back” and zusammen means “together,” but we can’t always translate them into English so unambiguously. The translation often depends on the context and on the verb itself, to which the prefix is attached.
Look at the example sentences with separable verbs. Note that the prefix is always separated from the verb and is at the end of the sentence. Do you already know any of these verbs?
| German | English |
|---|---|
| abfahren | depart |
| Der Zug fährt ab. | The train is leaving. |
| anrufen | call |
| Er ruft seine Mutter an. | He calls his mother. |
| aufmachen | open |
| Ich mache das Fenster auf. | I open the window. |
| ausgeben | spend |
| Er gibt sein ganzes Taschengeld für Süßigkeiten aus. | He spends all his pocket money on candy. |
| einkaufen | do the shopping |
| Sie kauft im Supermarkt ein. | She does her shopping at the supermarket. |
| mitbringen | take with you |
| Er bringt seinen Freund mit. | He is taking a friend with him. |
| nachfragen | ask |
| Der Schüler fragt bei der Lehrerin nach. | The student asks the teacher. |
| stattfinden | take place |
| Das Konzert findet morgen statt. | The concert will be held tomorrow. |
| teilnehmen | take part |
| Wir nehmen an dem Wettbewerb teil. | Take part in the competition. |
| vorbereiten | prepare |
| Ich bereite das Essen vor. | I prepare food. |
| weggehen | go away |
| Geh bitte nicht weg! | Please don’t go away! |
| zumachen | close |
| Sie macht die Tür zu. | She closes the door. |
| zurückkommen | return |
| Er kommt morgen zurück. | He is coming back tomorrow. |
| zusammenarbeiten | cooperate |
| Wir arbeiten gut zusammen. | We cooperate well. |
Inseparable verbs (untrennbare Verben) – example sentences
Inseparable verbs are those with the prefixes be-, emp-, ent-, er-, miss-, ver-, and zer-. These prefixes are never separated from the verb. They have no independent meaning and are not accented.
See the example sentences. Can you see the difference between these and the previous sentences?
| German | English |
|---|---|
| besuchen | visit |
| Ich besuche meine Großeltern. | I visit my grandparents. |
| empfehlen | recommend |
| Ich empfehle dieses Buch. | I recommend this book. |
| entscheiden | decide |
| Wir entscheiden morgen. | We will decide tomorrow. |
| erreichen | reach |
| Er erreicht sein Ziel. | He achieves his goal. |
| misstrauen | mistrust |
| Sie misstraut der fremden Person. | She mistrusts the stranger. |
| vergessen | forget |
| Sie vergisst oft die Schlüssel. | She often forgets the keys. |
| zerstören | destroy |
| Die Kinder zerstören das alte Spielzeug. | The children destroy the old toy. |
For inseparable verbs, the prefix always remains at the beginning of the word and does not separate from the subject of the verb, regardless of grammatical form or tense.
Separable and inseparable compound verbs with modal verbs
Modal verbs, i.e. können (to be able to), müssen (to have to), dürfen (to have permission), wollen (to want), sollen (to have to), and mögen (to like), are often used in German. Mostly we use them together with a second verb.
When we form sentences with modal verbs, we do not have to think about whether the second verb is separable or inseparable. This is because, after the modal verb, the second verb always occurs in the infinitive form (that is, the unconjugated one) and is at the end of the sentence. Quite a convenience, isn’t it?
See these examples with separable verbs:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| aufstehen | get up |
| Ich muss früh aufstehen. | I have to get up early. |
| mitkommen | go together, go with |
| Willst du mitkommen? | Do you want to go together? |
| anrufen | call |
| Ich möchte meinen Freund anrufen. | I want to call my friend. |
| zurückkommen | go back |
| Wir können zurückkommen. | We can go back. |
In each of these sentences we have a modal verb in the conjugated form, and a separable compound verb in the infinitive at the end of the sentence (without separating the prefix).
And now see these examples with separate complex verbs:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| verstehen | understand |
| Ich kann dich gut verstehen. | I can understand you very well. |
| entscheiden | decide |
| Sie müssen sich bald entscheiden. | They must decide soon. |
| beginnen | start |
| Ich möchte das Buch beginnen. | I would like to start a book. |
| erzählen | tell |
| Er darf das niemandem erzählen. | He can’t tell anyone. |
Separable and inseparable verbs in the past tense
To master the conjugation of compound verbs in the past tense, you must first learn the conjugation of single verbs (regular and irregular).
This is because compound verbs conjugate exactly the same as singular verbs, e.g. to know how to conjugate weggehen (to leave) you need to know how to conjugate the verb gehen (to go) itself, etc.
If you have already learned the conjugation of singular verbs in the past tense – great! It will be a big help for you. And if it’s still ahead of you, don’t worry. I’ve prepared an article for you about past tenses in German, in which you’ll find a thorough explanation with examples.
If you need additional motivation, a big help for you can be the Taalhammer app. With the help of a special algorithm you will learn new vocabulary much faster and more effectively!
Separate verbs in the Präteritum tense
Sentences in the Präteritum tense resemble those in the present tense in structure. See these examples:
| mitnehmen | take with her |
|---|---|
| Sie nahm das Buch mit. | She took the book with her. |
| weggehen | leave |
| Wir gingen schnell weg, | We left quickly. |
| einladen | invite |
| Er lud seine Freunde ein. | He invited his friends. |
| aufstehen | get up |
| Ich stand früh auf. | I got up early. |
The verb is conjugated according to the general rules of the Präteritum tense, and the prefix is separated from the verb and moved to the end of the sentence.
Inseparable verbs in the Präteritum tense
Inseparable verbs in the Präteritum have their own form of variety, in which the prefix remains in place and the rest of the verb is conjugated in the same way as singular verbs. For example:
- verstehen → verstand (understand)
- bekommen → bekam (receive)
See more examples in the sentences:
| erleben | experience |
|---|---|
| Sie erlebte ein aufregendes Abenteuer. | She experienced an exciting adventure. |
| besuchen | visit |
| Ich besuchte meine Großeltern am Wochenende. | I visited my grandparents over the weekend. |
| empfehlen | recommend |
| Sie empfahl mir ein gutes Buch. | She recommended a good book to me. |
Separate verbs in the Perfekt tense
We form the past tense of the Perfekt by proper conjugation of the verb and adding the auxiliary verbs haben or sein.
We conjugate separable verbs by adding the prefix ge- (Partizip II forms) between the prefix and the verb, e.g. einschlafen → eingeschlafen (to fall asleep).
For this tense, it is important to know whether the verb is combined with haben or sein. This rule can be simplified this way: Static verbs are combined with haben, and dynamic verbs are combined with sein, i.e. those expressing displacement or change of state (e.g. gehen – to go, einschlafen – to fall asleep). This will work in most cases, but not always (I write about this in more detail in the article on past tenses in German).
See the example sentences. Note that haben or sein is in the second position in the sentence, with the compound verb at the very end.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| zurückkommen | return |
| Sie ist nach dem Urlaub zurückgekommen. | She returned after the vacation. |
| aufstehen | get up |
| Ich bin heute sehr früh aufgestanden. | Today I got up very early. |
| anrufen | call |
| Ich habe dich gestern angerufen. | I called you yesterday. |
| abholen | pick up |
| Wir haben die Kinder vom Flughafen abgeholt. | We picked up the children from the airport. |
Inseparable verbs in the Perfekt tense
To understand how inseparable verbs are conjugated in the Perfekt tense, you must already be very familiar with the general rules for the conjugation of regular and irregular verbs in this tense. Without this, it will be difficult for you to understand the forms that arise here.
The most important thing for you to remember is that we never insert a ge– prefix into inseparable verbs. They are, after all, inseparable verbs, so nothing can come between the prefix and the verb. We only conjugate the verb itself, and leave the prefix unchanged. See examples:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| missverstehen | misunderstand |
| Ich habe dich missverstanden. | I misunderstood you. |
| entscheiden | decide |
| Wir haben uns für das neue Auto entschieden. | We decided on a new car. |
| gefallen | like |
| Das Buch hat mir sehr gefallen. | I liked this book very much. |
| bemerken | notice |
| Ich habe seinen Fehler sofort bemerkt. | I noticed his mistake right away. |
| bekommen | receive |
| Sie hat ein Geschenk bekommen. | She received a gift. |
Note that the verbs bekommen and gefallen remain the same.
To summarize:
- Separate compound verbs: separate the prefix from the main verb by adding ge-, e.g. eingeschlafen.
- Inseparable compound verbs: remember that the prefix remains connected to the main verb and you cannot separate them, e.g. missverstanden.
How best to learn compound verbs
Anyone who has studied a foreign language knows that feeling when, trying to string a single sentence together, you stop so many times thinking about the correct forms and words that you feel like giving up halfway through. There is a hurricane of thoughts in your head, and your interlocutor looks at you with a slight smile, trying to understand what you want to say.
But your thoughts are already elsewhere. Your emotions have taken over and instead of concentrating on finishing the sentence, you get angry with yourself. “Well, what’s the matter? After all, I learned these rules yesterday! I can’t remember anything. I’ll never learn to speak German!”
At Taalhammer, we have a way to deal with that – it’s learning in whole sentences.
For example:
Instead of learning whether the verb aufstehen (to get up) is separable or inseparable, and then how we build sentences with this group of verbs and on which syllable the accent falls, etc. etc., just memorize an example sentence, e.g. Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf (I get up at 7), and you no longer have to think about any rules.
This approach promotes a better understanding of how language works in practice and influences fluency in speaking and writing.
At Taalhammer we know this very well, which is why we based our application on this method. By learning whole sentences, we want to develop our users’ ability to communicate fluently and enable them to understand the language on a deeper level.
We are committed to making you finally feel the satisfaction of learning and the freedom to carry on conversations in a foreign language.
