German Separable Verbs

In German, separable verbs (Trennbare Verben) are verbs that are conjugated with a prefix that is separated from the verb stem during conjugation. These prefixes are affected by the verb stem’s final letter and are separated during conjugation.

The conjugation of separable verbs takes place in four steps:

1. The prefix is separated from the verb stem.
2. The verb stem is used in its infinitive form.
3. The prefix is added to the end of the verb stem.
4. The verb is conjugated according to the conjugation rules.

Examples of separable verbs are typically classified as follows:

• Examples of motion verbs: ab-, an-, auf-, aus-, ein-, mit-, nach-, weg-, zu-

• Examples of other verbs: durch-, hinter-, über-, unter-, vor-, wider-

Some examples of separable verbs are as follows:

• ab-: abholen (to pick up), abbrechen (to break off), abschließen (to close)
• an-: ankommen (to arrive), anrufen (to call), anziehen (to put on)
• auf-: aufstehen (to get up), aufmachen (to open), aufräumen (to tidy up)
• aus-: aussteigen (to get off), ausschalten (to turn off), ausfüllen (to fill out)
• ein-: einkaufen (to go shopping), einsteigen (to get on), einschlafen (to fall asleep)
• mit-: mitkommen (to come along), mitmachen (to participate), mithelfen (to help)
• nach-: nachdenken (to think about), nach Hause gehen (to go home), nachmachen (to imitate)
• weg-: weggehen (to go away), wegwerfen (to throw away), wegfahren (to drive away)
• zu-: zumachen (to close), zuhören (to listen), zustimmen (to agree)

Examples of separable verbs are shown in the following table:

It is important to learn separable verbs in groups. This will help you to learn similar conjugation patterns more easily.

Here are some tips for learning separable verbs:

• Learn separable verbs in groups. This will help you to learn similar conjugation patterns more easily.
• Memorize the infinitive forms of verbs. The infinitive forms of verbs will help you to learn other tense conjugations.
• Practice conjugating verbs. The more you practice conjugating verbs, the better you will remember them.

Separable verbs are very common in German. It is important for learners of German to learn these verbs.

some examples for you

1. anfangen (to begin/start):
   • Ich fange mit der Arbeit an. (I am starting with the work.)
2. aufhören (to stop/finish):
   • Wir hören mit dem Lärm auf. (We are stopping with the noise.)
3. anrufen (to call):
   • Kannst du mich später anrufen? (Can you call me later?)
4. aufstehen (to get up):
   • Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf. (I get up at 7 o’clock.)
5. aufmachen (to open):
   • Mach das Fenster auf, bitte. (Open the window, please.)
6. aufessen (to eat up/finish eating):
   • Ihr sollt euer Gemüse aufessen. (You should finish your vegetables.)
7. mitbringen (to bring along):
   • Kannst du etwas zu essen mitbringen? (Can you bring something to eat?)
8. mitspielen (to play along):
   • Wir möchten gerne mitspielen. (We would like to play along.)
9. mitkommen (to come along):
   • Kommst du mit ins Kino? (Are you coming with me to the cinema?)
10. einkaufen (to go shopping):
    • Ich muss heute noch einkaufen gehen. (I still need to go shopping today.)
11. einschlafen (to fall asleep):
    • Sie schläft schnell ein. (She falls asleep quickly.)
12. eintreten (to enter):
    • Tritt bitte ein! (Please come in!)
13. ausgehen (to go out):
    • Wir gehen heute Abend aus. (We are going out this evening.)
14. aussehen (to look like):
    • Du siehst heute gut aus. (You look good today.)
15. austauschen (to exchange):
    • Wir sollten unsere Meinungen austauschen. (We should exchange our opinions.)

These examples demonstrate how the prefixes can be separated from the main verbs in various sentence structures. Separable verbs are an integral part of the German language, and understanding their usage is essential for effective communication.