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German grammar · A1

German Separable Verbs: Where the Prefix Goes

Many German verbs are built from a prefix and a base verb — aufstehen, anrufen, einkaufen. In a main clause the prefix detaches and travels to the end of the sentence, which means the verb's meaning is not complete until the last word.

The prefix goes to the end

Aufstehen means to get up. But you say Ich stehe um sieben Uhr auf. The verb splits: the conjugated part takes second position, the prefix goes last.

This has a real consequence for listening. Ich rufe meine Mutter… could still become …an (I call) or continue quite differently. You cannot know what the verb means until the sentence ends, so you have to hold the whole sentence rather than translate as you go.

Which prefixes separate, and which do not

The common separable prefixes are ab-, an-, auf-, aus-, ein-, mit-, nach-, vor-, zu- and zurück-. These are words in their own right, and they carry the stress: AUFstehen.

A second group never separates: be-, emp-, ent-, er-, ge-, miss-, ver-, zer-. These are not independent words and the stress falls on the stem: beSUchen. Ich besuche meine Oma stays in one piece. If you are unsure, the stress is a reliable guide.

With modals and in the perfect

When a modal verb sends the main verb to the end, a separable verb goes there whole: Ich muss früh aufstehen. There is nothing to separate, because the verb is already in the position the prefix would have gone to.

In the perfect tense the ge- slots between the prefix and the stem: aufstehen → aufgestanden, anrufen → angerufen. Inseparable verbs take no ge- at all: besuchen → besucht.

Examples

• Ich stehe jeden Tag um 7 Uhr auf.I get up every day at 7 o'clock.
• Er sieht abends gern fern.He likes watching TV in the evening.

Mistakes to avoid

The errors are leaving the prefix attached in a main clause, and putting the ge- of the perfect in front of the prefix instead of inside the word.

• ✗ Ich aufstehe um 7 Uhr.✓ Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf.
• ✗ Ich anrufe dich.✓ Ich rufe dich an.
• ✗ Ich möchte heute früh aufstehe.✓ Ich möchte heute früh aufstehen.
• ✗ Wir haben geeinkauft.✓ Wir haben eingekauft.

How this is tested in the exam

Separable verbs dominate the vocabulary of daily routine, which is precisely the A1 topic set: getting up, shopping, calling someone, arriving. In Hören the prefix at the end of a sentence often carries the information the question is asking about, so a listener who stops attending at the verb misses the answer.

Frequently asked questions

What is a separable verb in German?

A verb made of a prefix plus a base verb, where the prefix detaches in a main clause and moves to the end of the sentence: Ich stehe um sieben auf.

Which German prefixes are separable?

Common separable prefixes include ab-, an-, auf-, aus-, ein-, mit-, nach-, vor-, zu- and zurück-. They are stressed. Prefixes such as be-, er-, ver- and ent- never separate and are unstressed.

Where does ge- go in the perfect tense of a separable verb?

Between the prefix and the stem: aufgestanden, angerufen, eingekauft. Inseparable verbs take no ge- at all.

Do separable verbs split after a modal verb?

No. The whole verb goes to the end in its infinitive form: Ich muss früh aufstehen.