German separable verbs: why the prefix runs to the end
German separable verbs are verbs with a stressed prefix, such as anrufen, aufstehen or einkaufen, that splits off in a main clause and goes to the end of the clause: Ich rufe dich morgen an. In a subordinate clause, after a modal verb and in the infinitive, the verb stays in one piece: weil ich dich morgen anrufe, ich muss dich anrufen. In the Perfekt, ge goes between the prefix and the stem: angerufen. Prefixes like be-, ver- and er- never separate.
What are separable verbs?
A separable verb is a base verb plus a small word in front of it, usually a preposition or an adverb, that changes or sharpens the meaning. Kommen is to come, ankommen is to arrive. Machen is to make or do, aufmachen is to open and zumachen is to close.
These verbs are everywhere in daily life. A morning in Germany is full of them:
| Verb | Meaning | In a main clause |
|---|---|---|
| aufstehen | to get up | Ich stehe um sechs auf. |
| anrufen | to call (on the phone) | Ich rufe die Praxis an. |
| einkaufen | to do the shopping | Wir kaufen nach der Arbeit ein. |
| einsteigen, umsteigen, aussteigen | to get on, change, get off | Wir steigen in Fulda um. |
| ankommen, abfahren | to arrive, to leave | Der Zug kommt um zehn an. |
| ausfüllen | to fill in | Füllen Sie bitte das Formular aus. |
| mitnehmen | to take along | Nimmst du den Schlüssel mit? |
| fernsehen | to watch TV | Wir sehen heute Abend fern. |
Where does the prefix go in a sentence?
In a main clause the conjugated verb stands in second position, and the prefix goes to the very end. Everything else sits in between, like the two ends of a bracket. This is the same bracket you see in the Perfekt and with modal verbs, and it is one of the main ideas of German word order.
Ich rufe morgen früh beim Bürgeramt an.
I'll ring the Bürgeramt tomorrow morning.
Der Zug fährt heute wegen Bauarbeiten später ab.
The train is leaving later today because of engineering works.
Kommst du heute Abend mit?
Are you coming along this evening?
The same happens in questions and in the imperative:
Mach bitte das Fenster zu!
Please close the window!
Steigen Sie bitte hinten ein.
Please get on at the back.
When does a separable verb stay together?
The verb stays in one piece whenever it goes to the end of the clause as a whole. There are three common cases.
After a modal verb or in the future
The modal verb takes second position, and the separable verb waits at the end as an infinitive, in one word.
Ich muss morgen früh aufstehen.
I have to get up early tomorrow.
Kannst du bitte das Licht ausmachen?
Can you turn off the light, please?
In a subordinate clause
After weil, dass, wenn and the other subordinating conjunctions, the conjugated verb goes to the end, and the prefix joins it there. This is explained in more detail in why the verb goes to the end.
Sag mir Bescheid, wenn du ankommst.
Let me know when you arrive.
Ich glaube, dass der Kurs um neun anfängt.
I think that the course starts at nine.
With zu
In an infinitive with zu, the zu goes between the prefix and the stem, and the whole thing is written as one word.
Vergiss nicht, den Müll rauszubringen.
Don't forget to take the rubbish out.
Es ist schwer, so früh aufzustehen.
It's hard to get up so early.
How do you form the Perfekt of separable verbs?
The participle puts ge between the prefix and the stem: einkaufen becomes eingekauft, anrufen becomes angerufen, aufstehen becomes aufgestanden. The base verb decides whether the participle is regular or irregular, and the usual rule for the auxiliary applies (see haben or sein in the Perfekt).
Hast du schon eingekauft?
Have you done the shopping yet?
Wir sind um Mitternacht in München angekommen.
We arrived in Munich at midnight.
In the Präteritum the prefix separates exactly as in the present: Der Zug kam um zehn an. For how the Perfekt and the Präteritum divide the work between them, see Perfekt or Präteritum.
Which prefixes never separate?
Some prefixes are inseparable. They never split off, are almost never stressed (miss- sometimes is), and their participle has no ge.
| Prefix | Example | Perfekt |
|---|---|---|
| be- | bekommen (to get) | hat bekommen |
| ver- | verstehen (to understand) | hat verstanden |
| er- | erklären (to explain) | hat erklärt |
| ent- | entscheiden (to decide) | hat entschieden |
| emp-, ge-, miss-, zer- | empfehlen, gefallen, missverstehen, zerstören | hat empfohlen, hat gefallen |
Ich verstehe die Frage nicht.
I don't understand the question.
Können Sie mir das bitte erklären?
Could you explain that to me, please?
What about durch, über, um, unter and wieder?
A few prefixes can be either, and the meaning changes with the stress. Umfahren stressed on the prefix (UMfahren) means to knock over with a vehicle (Er fährt das Schild um), while stressed on the stem (umFAHREN) it means to drive around something (Wir umfahren den Stau). Such pairs are rare in everyday speech, so learn each one when you meet it.
How does Linota help with separable verbs?
When you tap a split verb in a Linota text, say an at the end of a long sentence, the meaning appears in the sentence you found it in, and the study note gives you the whole verb with its past forms, such as anrufen, rief an, hat angerufen. Say it yourself then asks you to build the sentences, so the prefix ends up at the end of the clause by habit. The Missions help too: a cancelled ICE train is a good test of umsteigen, abfahren and ankommen.
The short version
- Separable prefixes (an, auf, aus, ein, mit, zu, ab, vor, zurück) are stressed and split off.
- Main clause: the prefix goes to the end (Ich rufe dich an).
- Modal verb, subordinate clause, zu: the verb stays whole (anrufen, weil ich anrufe, anzurufen).
- Perfekt: ge in the middle (angerufen).
- be-, ver-, er-, ent-, emp-, ge-, miss-, zer- never separate and take no ge.
The prefix at the end is part of a larger pattern: see German word order.
Questions people ask
How do I know if a German verb is separable?
Look at the prefix and the stress. Prefixes such as an, auf, aus, ein, mit, vor, zu, ab and zurück are separable and carry the stress: ANrufen, AUFstehen. The prefixes be, emp, ent, er, ge, miss, ver and zer never separate and, apart from miss, are almost never stressed.
Where does the separable prefix go in a sentence?
In a main clause the prefix goes to the very end of the clause, however long the sentence is. In a subordinate clause, and with a modal verb, the verb stays in one piece at the end: weil ich dich morgen anrufe, ich muss dich morgen anrufen.
How do you form the Perfekt of a separable verb?
Put ge between the prefix and the stem: anrufen becomes angerufen, einkaufen becomes eingekauft, aufstehen becomes aufgestanden. The auxiliary follows the usual haben or sein rule.
Are separable verbs written as one word?
Yes, whenever the parts stand together: in the infinitive, in the participle and at the end of a subordinate clause. Only when the verb splits in a main clause do the two parts appear as separate words.