In German, many verbs are created by adding prefixes to basic verbs,
e.g
an- + kommen (to come) -> ankommen (to arrive)
fern- + sehen (to see) -> fernsehen (to watch television)
ver- + kaufen (to buy)
-> verkaufen (to sell)
The prefix modifies the meaning of the basic verb, e.g.
|
gehen (to go): |
Er geht oft in den Park.
(He often goes to the
park.) |
ausgehen (to go out): |
Am Wochenende geht er nie aus.
(He never goes out at the
weekend.) |
The prefix can also completely change the meaning of the basic verb,
e.g.
|
zählen (to count): |
Sie zählt das Geld.
(She is counting the money.) |
erzählen (to tell): |
Sie erzählt eine Geschichte.
(She is telling a story.) |
There are separable & inseparable verbs.
Separable verbs
Separable verbs are basic verbs with a prefix that is separated from the
conjugated part of the basic verb and appears at the end of the clause in
imperatives, e.g.
|
separable prefix |
basic verb
in the infinitive |
separable verb
in the infinitive |
imperative |
|
zu- |
machen (to make, to do) |
zumachen (to close) |
Machen Sie das Fenster
zu! (Close the window!) |
|
auf- |
stehen (to stand) |
aufstehen (to get up) |
Stehen Sie nicht
auf! (Don't get up!) |
|
an- |
fangen (to catch) |
anfangen (to begin) |
Fangen Sie bitte
an! (Please begin!) |
as well as in statements and questions in the present tense and in the
simple past tense*, e.g.
|
separable prefix |
basic verb
in the infinitive |
separable verb
in the infinitive |
statements and questions in the present tense |
|
zu- |
machen (to make, to do) |
zumachen (to close) |
Sie
macht das Fenster
zu. (She closes the window.)
Warum
machst du das Fenster nicht
zu? (Why don't you close the
window?) |
|
auf- |
stehen (to stand) |
aufstehen (to get up) |
Sie
steht jeden Morgen um 6 Uhr
auf. (She gets up every
morning at 6 o'clock.)
Wann
stehst du am Wochenende
auf? (When
do you get up at the weekend?) |
|
an- |
fangen (to catch) |
anfangen (to begin) |
Meine Arbeit
fängt um 7 Uhr
an. (My work starts at 7
o'clock.)
Fängst du immer so früh
an? (Do you always start so
early?) |
* You
will find out more about this in section A2.
In subordinate clauses, the conjugated part of the verb moves
to the end of that clause and is joined with the prefix, e.g.
Ich möchte, dass du das Fenster
zumachst. (I would like
you to close the window.)
Sie ist nie pünktlich, weil sie morgens so spät
aufsteht. (She is never
on time, because she gets up so late in the morning.)
Separable prefixes exist as words on their own.
With separable verbs, the prefix is always stressed.
In past participles of separable verbs, the separable
prefix comes before the past participle of the basic verb, e.g.
aufmachen ->
aufgemacht
einkaufen ->
eingekauft
ankommen ->
angekommen
In infinitive phrases, the "zu" is inserted between the
separable prefix and the basic verb e.g.
ausgehen -> Wir planen, heute Abend auszugehen.
Common separable prefixes
are:
|
ab- |
abholen (to fetch, to
collect, to pick up); abfahren (to depart) |
|
an- |
ankommen (to arrive);
annehmen (to accept); anfangen (to start); anrufen (to call) |
|
auf- |
aufstehen (to get up);
aufschreiben (to write down); aufgeben (to give up) |
|
aus- |
ausgehen (to go out);
ausmachen (to turn off); aussteigen (to get off); ausschlafen
(to sleep in) |
|
ein- |
einkaufen (to shop);
einladen (to invite) |
|
fern- |
fernsehen (to watch
television); fernhalten (to keep away) |
|
mit- |
mitmachen (to join in);
mitnehmen (to take along) |
|
vor- |
vorstellen (to introduce);
vorschlagen (to suggest); vorhaben (to intend, to have planned) |
|
weg- |
wegfahren (to drive away);
weggehen (to go away) |
|
zu- |
zumachen (to close);
zuhören (to listen) |
|
zurück- |
zurückfahren (to drive
back); zurückschicken (to send back) |
|
zusammen- |
zusammenarbeiten (to work
together); zusammenfallen (to collapse) |
Inseparable verbs
Inseparable verbs are basic verbs with a prefix that is
never separated from the basic verb, e.g.
|
inseparable prefix |
basic verb
in the infinitive |
inseparable verb
in the infinitive |
examples in the present tense,
the perfect tense, the simple past and in the imperative |
|
be- |
suchen (to look for, to search) |
besuchen (to visit) |
Ich besuche meine Eltern. (I am visiting my parents.)
Gestern habe ich meine Eltern besucht. (Yesterday I visited my
parents.)
Er besuchte seine Eltern nie. (He never visited his parents.)
Besuchen Sie Ihre Eltern! (Visit your parents!) |
Apart from "er", inseparable prefixes don't exist as words
on their own.
The past participle of inseparable verbs never start with ge-, e.g. bezahlen -> bezahlt, verkaufen -> verkauft, entdecken ->
entdeckt.
Common inseparable prefixes
are:
|
ent- |
entdecken (to discover); entschuldigen
(to excuse) |
|
er- |
erzählen (to tell); erfinden (to
invent) |
|
ver- |
verkaufen (to sell); versuchen (to try) |
|
emp- |
empfehlen (to recommend); empfangen (to
receive) |
|
be- |
besuchen (to visit); bezahlen (to pay) |
|
zer- |
zerstören (to destroy); zerkleinern (to
cut up, to chop up) |
|
ge- |
gefährden (to endanger, to jeopardize);
geschehen (to happen, to occur) |
|