A2 · The verb: present tense and stem
Separable verbs
the prefix that goes to the end
The verb starts the sentence and finishes it, and the meaning is not complete until the last word.
Many German verbs carry a prefix that detaches in a main clause and goes to the very end: ankommen becomes der Zug kommt um sieben an. The prefix is not decoration — it usually carries most of the meaning, which is why the sentence is not understood until it is finished.
English has the same thing and does not notice: pick up, throw away, turn on. Turn on the light and turn the light on are both English, and the second one is exactly the German pattern. The difference is that German sends the particle all the way to the end, past everything else in the clause.
Which prefixes separate is learned with the verb, but the stress gives it away when you hear it: a separable prefix is stressed (ANkommen), an inseparable one is not (beKOMmen). That test is reliable and is the fastest way to sort a new verb.
Die Form
| infinitive | ankommen |
| main clause | Der Zug kommt um sieben an. |
| question | Kommt der Zug um sieben an? |
| subordinate clause | ..., dass der Zug um sieben ankommt. |
| perfect | Der Zug ist um sieben angekommen. |
Die Regeln im Einzelnen
In a main clause the prefix goes to the end of the clause.
Ich stehe jeden Tag um sechs auf.I get up at six every day.
In a subordinate clause the verb rejoins its prefix and both stand at the end.
Ich weiß, dass er morgen ankommt.I know that he arrives tomorrow.
In the perfect the ge- goes between prefix and stem: angekommen, aufgestanden.
Wir sind spät angekommen.We arrived late.
Inseparable prefixes — be-, ge-, er-, ver-, zer-, ent-, emp-, miss- — never separate and take no ge- in the participle.
Ich habe das Buch bekommen.I received the book.
Genauer hingesehen
The sentence bracket
A separable verb is the clearest case of something German does constantly: it opens a structure early, fills the middle, and closes it at the end. The conjugated verb stands second, the prefix or the second verb stands last, and everything else is inside. Grammars call it the Satzklammer, the sentence bracket.
This is why German is hard to interrupt and hard to translate simultaneously: the listener genuinely does not know whether the train is arriving or departing until the last syllable. It is also why word order in the middle is so free — the bracket holds the sentence together, so the contents can be arranged for emphasis.
Ausnahmen und Sonderfälle (2)
-
the prefix is durch-, über-, unter-, um- or wieder-
the verb may be separable or not, with different meanings for each.
Er übersetzt den Text. / Er setzt uns über.He is translating the text. / He is ferrying us across.
These prefixes are still ordinary words as well as prefixes, and the literal sense separates while the figurative one does not.
-
the verb stands with zu in an infinitive clause
the zu goes between the prefix and the stem, as one word.
Es ist Zeit, aufzustehen.It is time to get up.
The prefix belongs to the verb whenever the verb is not conjugated.
Woran man es erkennt
- an-
- auf-
- aus-
- ein-
- mit-
- vor-
- zu-
- ab-
- be-
- ver-
- er-
Beispielsätze
Der Zug fährt um acht ab.The train departs at eight.
Machst du bitte das Fenster zu?Could you close the window?
Ich rufe dich morgen an.I will call you tomorrow.
Sie zieht nächsten Monat um.She is moving house next month.
Er hat das Licht ausgemacht.He turned the light off.
Noch 8 Beispielsätze
Wann kommst du zurück?When are you coming back?
Bitte machen Sie die Tür auf.Please open the door.
Ich nehme das Angebot an.I accept the offer.
Der Film fängt gleich an.The film starts in a moment.
Sie hört nie zu.She never listens.
Wir kaufen morgen ein.We are doing the shopping tomorrow.
Er hat mich gestern angerufen.He called me yesterday.
Steigen Sie bitte in Hannover um.Please change trains in Hanover.
Besonderheiten (2)
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The stress test settles it in one word
Say the infinitive out loud. If the stress falls on the prefix, it separates: <z>AN</z>rufen, <z>AUF</z>stehen, <z>EIN</z>kaufen. If it falls on the stem, it does not: be<z>KOM</z>men, ver<z>STE</z>hen, er<z>ZÄH</z>len. There is no exception to this, which makes it worth more than any list of prefixes.
ANkommen – beKOMmento arrive – to receive
-
The prefix changes the meaning completely
A separable prefix is not a shade of meaning but often a different verb. From <z>kommen</z>: <z>ankommen</z> arrive, <z>mitkommen</z> come along, <z>vorkommen</z> occur, <z>umkommen</z> die. This is the engine of German vocabulary — one stem and a dozen prefixes give a dozen verbs — and it is why hearing the end of the sentence matters.
ankommen, mitkommen, vorkommen, umkommento arrive, to come along, to occur, to perish
Die typisch deutsche Falle
Aufgepasst
Keeping the verb in one piece is the natural thing to do and is wrong in every German main clause. The habit to build is the opposite one: as soon as you choose a separable verb, put its prefix at the end of the sentence before you write the middle. The middle can be as long as you like — the prefix waits.
Stressed prefix, separate verb. Say the prefix last.
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