German prefix verbs change meaning by adding a small word to the front of a base verb, such as machen, kommen, or stehen. Some prefixes separate in the present tense and simple past, while others always stay attached. This cheat sheet helps students recognize the prefix type, place the verb parts correctly, and form past participles.
It is useful for reading, writing, and speaking more accurate German sentences.
Separable prefixes are usually stressed and move to the end of a main clause, as in Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf. Inseparable prefixes are unstressed and stay attached to the verb, as in Ich verstehe die Frage. In the present perfect, separable verbs use ge between the prefix and verb stem, such as aufgemacht, while inseparable verbs do not use ge, such as verstanden.
Modal verbs, subordinate clauses, and infinitive constructions can change where the verb appears, so students must watch sentence structure carefully.
Key Facts
- Common separable prefixes include ab-, an-, auf-, aus-, ein-, mit-, nach-, vor-, weg-, zu-, and zurück-.
- Common inseparable prefixes include be-, emp-, ent-, er-, ge-, miss-, ver-, and zer-.
- In a main clause, the conjugated part of a separable verb is in position 2 and the prefix goes to the end: Ich rufe dich heute an.
- With a modal verb, the separable verb stays together as an infinitive at the end: Ich muss dich heute anrufen.
- In a subordinate clause, the separable prefix stays attached to the conjugated verb at the end: weil ich dich heute anrufe.
- The past participle of a separable verb places ge between prefix and stem: aufmachen becomes aufgemacht.
- The past participle of an inseparable verb does not use ge: besuchen becomes besucht and verstehen becomes verstanden.
- Some prefixes can be separable or inseparable depending on meaning and stress, such as um-, über-, unter-, durch-, and wieder-.
Vocabulary
- Separable verb
- A German verb whose prefix can split from the verb stem and move to the end of a main clause.
- Inseparable verb
- A German verb whose prefix always stays attached to the verb stem.
- Prefix
- A word part added to the beginning of a verb that changes or sharpens its meaning.
- Past participle
- The verb form used with haben or sein to form the present perfect tense, such as gemacht or gegangen.
- Main clause
- A clause that can stand alone and usually places the conjugated verb in the second position in German.
- Subordinate clause
- A dependent clause introduced by words like weil, dass, or wenn, with the conjugated verb at the end.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Leaving a separable prefix attached in a main clause is wrong because the prefix must move to the end: Ich mache die Tür auf, not Ich aufmache die Tür.
- Putting ge before the whole separable verb is wrong because ge goes between the prefix and stem: aufgemacht, not geaufmacht.
- Adding ge to an inseparable verb is wrong because inseparable verbs do not take ge in the past participle: besucht, not gebesucht.
- Separating an inseparable verb is wrong because prefixes like be-, ver-, and ent- stay attached: Ich verstehe dich, not Ich stehe dich ver.
- Forgetting that modal verbs keep the infinitive together is wrong because the full infinitive goes to the end: Ich will morgen einkaufen, not Ich kaufe morgen ein will.
Practice Questions
- 1 Rewrite sentence 1 with correct separable verb order: Ich aufstehe um 6:30 Uhr.
- 2 Rewrite sentence 2 in the present perfect: Wir machen das Fenster auf.
- 3 Choose the correct past participle in sentence 3: Sie hat ihre Oma besucht or gebesucht.
- 4 Explain why the verb in Ich muss heute einkaufen does not split, even though einkaufen is a separable verb.