Exercise 5
Separable Verbs in the Present Tense (Trennbare Verben im PrÀsens)
đ Master Separable Verbs
Practice 80+ separable verbs with audio, quizzes, and medical terminology for FSP exam prep.
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What is a separable verb?
These are verbs which are made up of two parts: a prefix and the infinitive of a verb.
For example: auf + stehen â aufstehen 'to get up'.
Comparison with English
Separable verbs are comparable to English phrasal verbs, which consist of an infinitive plus an adverb or preposition: 'to get up', 'to get on', etc.
Prefixes go at the end
When a separable verb is in the present tense, the prefix is usually separated from the finite form of the verb and goes to the end of the sentence:
đ§ Visual Verb Splitter Tool
Click "Split Verb" to see how the prefix moves to the end!
Important separable verbs
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ab | from/away | abfahren (to depart) |
| ab | from/away | abholen (to pick up) |
| ab | from/away | abwaschen (to do the washing up) |
| an | at/on | anfangen (to start) |
| an | at/on | ankommen (to arrive) |
| an | at/on | anrufen (to phone) |
| auf | up/on | aufhören (to stop) |
| auf | up/on | aufrÀumen (to tidy up) |
| auf | up/on | aufstehen (to get up) |
| aus | out | ausgehen (to go out) |
| ein | in | einkaufen (to go shopping) |
| ein | in | einladen (to invite) |
| ein | in | einschlafen (to fall asleep) |
| fern | far/distant | fernsehen (to watch television) |
| sauber | clean | saubermachen (to clean) |
| statt | instead | stattfinden (to take place) |
| vor | before | vorbereiten (to prepare) |
| vor | before | sich vorstellen (to introduce oneself) |
Separable verbs in two clauses
When a sentence consists of two clauses, the split-off prefix goes to the end of the relevant clause. This may not necessarily be at the end of the sentence.
đ Two-Clause Visualizer
I get up and then I have breakfast.
Mr Carlsen is watching television, but his children are reading.
Verbs can have more than one prefix
A verb often takes more than one prefix. Here are examples of the many different meanings that the verb kommen 'to come' has when combined with a prefix:
- ankommen (to arrive)
- mitkommen (to come along)
- weiterkommen (to get on)
- hereinkommen (to come in)
- herauskommen (to come out)
- nachkommen (to come later)
- zurĂŒckkommen (to come back)
Common separable vs inseparable prefixes
Separable Prefixes
ab-, an-, auf-, aus-, ein-, mit-, nach-, vor-, zu-, zurĂŒck-, hin-, her-, fern-, statt-
These separate from the verb and go to the end of the clause.
Inseparable Prefixes
be-, er-, ge-, ver-, ent-, emp-, miss-, zer-
These stay attached to the verb and never separate.
Tip: You can find out whether a verb is separable by checking in a good dictionary. After the main entry, it will say 'sep.' if it is separable.
Here is a description of Jens Fischer's day. Complete the gaps with the finite verb and the prefix.
Example: ausstellen â Jens stellt den Wecker um sieben Uhr aus.
Use your dictionary knowledge to check which ones of the following verbs are separable. Click to mark them. The first separable verb has been done for you.
Now use the separable verbs from Exercise 5.2 to fill in the gaps below. The first has been done for you.
1. Herr und Frau Conradi stehen um sieben Uhr auf.
Translate the following sentences into German:
â Checklist
- 1. Which part of the verb is split off? ?
- 2. Where does it go in a sentence? ?
- 3. What happens if a sentence consists of more than one clause? ?
- 4. How can you check whether a verb is separable? ?
- 5. Do you know which prefixes are non-separable? ?
Tips: For more information on separable verbs in the imperative see Unit 6. For combinations with modal verbs and perfect/future tense see Units 20-23.