Verbs with prefixes
In German many verbs have two parts. In English, too, verbs that
consist of two parts are common, especially phrasal verbs. For
example, the verb to come can be found as an element in such
verbs and combinations as become, overcome, come
to, come up, come over, etc. In German a
distinction is made between verbs that have separable prefixes and
verbs that have non-seperable prefixes.
Verbs with non-separable prefixes
The most common non-seperable prefixes are be-,
emp-, ent-, er-, ge-, miss-,
ver-, and zer-. When the verb is pronounced, the
nonseperable prefix is not stressed. Examples:
- bekommen (to get)
- besuchen (to visit)
- empfinden (to feel)
- empfehlen (to recommend)
- entgegnen (to reply)
- entstehen (to come into being)
- erzählen (to tell, to narrate)
- erklären (to explain)
- genießen (to enjoy)
- gefährden (to endanger)
- missverstehen (to misunderstand)
- misstrauen (to distrust)
- verstehen (to understand)
- versuchen (to try)
- zerpflücken (to pick apart)
- zergehen (to dissolve)
When these verbs are conjugated, they always keep their prefix
in the first position. Example sentences:
- Wir besitzen ein Auto. (We own a car.)
- Er besucht uns morgen. (He will visit us
tomorrow.)
- Ich empfehle dir dieses Buch. (I recommmend this book
to you.)
- Entschuldigen Sie bitte die Unordnung. (Please excuse
the mess.)
- Wann hast du das erfahren? (When did you find out
about that?)
- Dieser Kugelschreiber gehört ihr. (This pen
belongs to her.)
- Sie missbraucht ihre Privilegien. (She abuses her
privileges.)
- Er verteilt die Post. (He distributes the
mail.)
- Er hat den Zettel zerrissen. (He tore up the piece of
paper.)
Verbs with seperable prefixes
Common separable prefixes are usually prepositions, they are
ab-, an-, auf-, aus-, ein-,
fest-, hin-, her-, mit-, nach-,
vor-, weg-, zu- etc. When the verb is
pronounced, the stress in on the seperable prefix.
Examples:
- abfahren (to leave, to depart)
- ankommen (to arrive)
- aufwachen (to wake up)
- aussuchen (to pick out)
- einschlafen (to fall asleep)
- festlegen (to determine)
- hingehen (to go [there])
- herkommen (to come[here])
- mitkommen (to come along)
- nachsehen (to check)
- vorziehen (to prefer)
- weggehen (to go away)
- zustellen (to deliver)
When these verbs are conjugated, the position of the prefix
changes, going to the end of the clause. Example
sentences:
- Er schließt sein Auto ab. (He locks up his
car.)
- Sie kündigte ihren neuen Film an. (She announced
her new movie.)
- Ich bin um neun Uhr aufgestanden. (I got up at
nine.)
- Er stellt seine Bilder in einer Galerie aus. (He is
exhibiting his pictures in a gallery.)
- Bitte steigen Sie in den Zug ein. (Please get on the
train.)
- Er nimmt seinen Rucksack mit. (He is bringing his
backpack.)
- Sie schlägt jedes Wort nach. (She looks up every
word.)
- Er liest seinen Kindern oft vor. (He often reads to
his children.)
- Nimm mir nicht meine Zeitung weg! (Don't take my
newspaper away from me!)
Advanced: Verbs featuring prefixes that can be either
separable or nonseparable:
Verbs that feature the prefixes durch-,
über-, um-, unter-, wider-, and
wieder- can be either separable or nonseparable, depending
on the verb or the context. Example sentences:
- Ich durchforsche meine alten Briefe. (I am searching
through my old letters.)
- In der Schule nehmen wir interessante Themen durch.
(We treat interesting topics in school.)
- Er übernimmt eine neue Aufgabe. (He is taking on
a new task.)
- Er tritt zum buddhistischen Glauben über. (He is
converting to the Buddhist faith.)
- Die Polizei umstellt das Haus. (Police are
surrounding the house.)
- Ich stelle meine Möbel um. (I am rearranging my
furniture.)
- Die Ärztin untersucht den Patienten. (The
physician [lady doctor] is examining the patient.)
- Die Sonne geht im Westen unter. (The sun goes down in
the West.)
- Er widerspricht sich dauernd. (He constantly
contradicts himself.)
- Das Wasser spiegelt das Ufer wider.(The water
reflects the riverbank.)
- Wann sehen wir uns wieder? (When will we see each
other again?)
- Ich wiederhole die neuen Vokabeln. (I am reviewing
the new vocabulary.)