German Verb Prefixes

Verbalpräfixe - Vorsilben bei Zeitwörtern

Verb Prefixes
There are three kinds of verb prefixes in German:

 separable (trennbar),
 inseparable (untrennbar), and

 dual prefixes (usually a preposition) that can be both.

Separable prefixes are stressed (betont) in their pronunciation;

inseparable prefixes are unstressed (unbetont). In this verb prefix chart,
we have divided the prefixes into their three categories.

By adding various prefixes to a base verb, German can produce new

meanings:

 kommen >
 abkommen (digress),

 ankommen (arrive),

 bekommen (get),

 entkommen (escape).

(English does the same thing, using Greek and Latin prefixes: form >
deform, inform, perform, etc.) Knowing the basic meaning of a verb
prefix can be helpful in learning German vocabulary, but not all prefixes
have a specific meaning, nor does each prefix always have the same
meaning. For instance, knowing the meaning of the prefix

 ver- may or may not help you understand the meaning of verbs like
 verschlafen (to oversleep) or

 versprechen (to promise).

The prefix meanings can be interesting and helpful, but they are no
substitute for learning vocabulary.!!!

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 Separable Prefixes
Trennbare Präfixe

Prefix Meaning Examples

abblenden (screen, fade out, dim [lights])

abdanken (abdicate, resign)
abkommem (get away)
ab- from
abnehmen (pick up; decrease, reduce)
abschaffen (abolish, do away with)
abziehen (deduct, withdraw, print [photos])

anbauen (cultivate, grow, plant)

anbringen (fasten, install, display)
anfangen (begin, start)
an- at, to
anhängen (attach)
ankommen (arrive)
anschauen (look at, examine)

aufbauen (build up, put up, add on)

aufdrehen (turn on, unscrew, wind up)
auffallen (stand out, be noticeable)
auf- on, out, up, un-
aufgeben (give up; check [luggage])
aufkommen (arise, spring up; bear [costs])
aufschließen (unlock; develop [land])

ausbilden (educate, train)

ausbreiten (extend, spread out)
ausfallen (fail, fall out, be canceled)
aus- out, from
ausgehen (go out)
aussehen (appear, look [like])
auswechseln (exchange, replace [parts])

beibringen (teach; inflict)

beikommen (get hold of, deal with)
beischlafen (have sexual relations with)
bei- along, with
beisetzen (bury, inter)
beitragen (contribute [to])
beitreten (join)

einatmen (inhale)
einberufen (conscript, draft; convene, summon)
einbrechen (break in; break down/through, cave
in, into, inward,
ein- in)
down
eindringen (force entry into, penetrate, besiege)
einfallen (collapse; occur to, remind)
eingehen (enter, sink in, be received)

fort- away, forth, onward fortbilden (continue education)

fortbringen (take away [for repair], post)
fortpflanzen (propagate, reproduce; be
transmitted)
fortsetzen (continue)

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 forttreiben (drive away)

mitarbeiten (cooperate, collaborate)

mitbestimmen (co-determine, have a say in)
mitbringen (bring along)
mit- along, with, co-
mitfahren (go/travel with, get a lift)
mitmachen (join in, go along with)
mitteilen (inform, communicate)

nachahmen (imitate, emulate, copy)

nachbessern (retouch)
nachdrucken (reprint)
nach- after, copy, re-
nachfüllen (refill, top up/off)
nachgehen (follow, go after; run slow [clock])
nachlassen (slacken, loosen)

vorbereiten (prepare)
vorbeugen (prevent; bend forward)
vorbringen (propose, bring up; bring forward,
before, forward,
vor- produce)
pre-, pro-
vorführen (present, perform)
vorgehen (proceed, go on, go first)
vorlegen (present, submit)

wegbleiben (stay away)

wegfahren (leave, drive off, sail away)
wegfallen (be discontinued, cease to apply, be
weg- away, off omitted)
weghaben (have got done, have got done)
wegnehmen (take away)
wegtauchen (disappear)

zubringen (bring/take to)

zudecken (cover up, tuck in)
zuerkennen (bestow, confer [on])
shut/closed, to,
zu- zufahren (drive/ride towards)
towards, upon
zufassen (make a grab for)
zulassen (authorize, license)
zunehmen (increase, gain, add weight)

zurückblenden (flash back [to])

zurückgehen (go back, return)
zurückschlagen (hit/strike back)
zurück- back, re- zurückschrecken (shrink back/from, recoil, shy
away)
zurücksetzen (reverse, mark down, put back)
zurückweisen (refuse, repulse, turn back/away)

zusammenbauen (assemble)
zusammenfassen (summarize)
zusammenklappen (fold up, shut)
zusammen- together
zusammenkommen (meet, come together)
zusammensetzen (seat/put together)
zusammenstoßen (collide, clash)

NOTE: All of the separable verbs form their past participle with ge-, as in zurückgegangen (zurückgehen).

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 Separable Prefixes
Trennbare Präfixe

Prefix Meaning Examples

dableiben (stay behind)

da- there
dalassen (leave there)

dabeibleiben (stay/stick with it)

dabei- there
dabeisitzen (sit in on)

darangeben (sacrifice)
daran- on/to it daranmachen (set about it, get
down to it)

emporarbeiten (work one's way up)

up,
emporblicken (raise one's eyes up,
empor- upward,
look up)
over
emporragen (tower, rise above/over)

entgegenarbeiten (oppose, work

against, against)
entgegen-
towards entgegenkommen (approach, come
towards)

entlanggehen (go/walk along)

entlang- along
entlangschrammen (scrape by)

fehlgehen (go astray, err)

awry,
fehl- fehlschlagen (go wrong, come to
wrong
nothing)

festlaufen (run aground)

firm,
fest- festlegen (establish, fix)
fixed
festsitzen (be stuck, cling)

across
gegenüberliegen (face, be opposite)
from,
gegenüber- gegenüberstellen (confront,
opposite,
compare)
con-

gleichkommen (equal, match)

gleich- equal gleichsetzen (equate, treat as
equivalent)

herfahren (come/get here)

from,
her- herstellen (manufacture, produce;
here
establish)

heraufarbeiten (work one's way up)

up from,
herauf- heraufbeschwören (evoke, give rise
out of
to)

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 from, out herauskriegen (get out of, find out)
heraus-
of herausfordern (challenge, provoke)

to,
hinarbeiten (work towards)
hin- towards,
hinfahren (go/drive there)
there

away, hinweggehen (disregard, pass over)

hinweg-
over hinwegkommen (dismiss, get over)

in hinbekommen (get in addition)

hinzu-
addition hinzufügen (add, enclose)

away, losbellen (start barking)

los-
start losfahren (set/drive off)

stattfinden (take place, be held

statt- -- [event])
stattgeben (grant)

zusammenarbeiten (co-operate,
collaborate)
zusammengeben (mix [ingredients])
together, zusammenhauen (smash to pieces)
zusammen-
to pieces zusammenheften (staple together)
zusammenkrachen (crash [down])
zusammenreißen (pull oneself
together)

zwischenblenden (blend in; insert

zwischen- between [film, music])
zwischenlanden (stop over [flying])

NOTE: All of the separable verbs form their past participle with ge-, as in zurückgegangen (zurückgehen).

Comments: Separable Prefix Verbs

German separable prefix verbs can be compared to English verbs like "call
up," "clear out" or "fill in." While in English you can say either "Clear out
your drawers" or "Clear your drawers out," in German the separable prefix
is almost always at the end, as in the second English example. A German
example with anrufen:

Heute ruft er seine Freundin an. = Today he's calling his girlfriend
(up).

This applies to most "normal" German sentences, but in some cases

(infinitive forms or in dependent clauses) the "separable" prefix does not
separate.

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 Inseparable Prefixes
Untrennbare Präfixe

Prefix Meaning Examples

s. befinden (be located)

like English be- befolgen (follow)
befreunden (befriend)
be-
makes verb take a begegnen (meet)
direct object (acc.) bekommen (get)
bemerken (notice, remark)

empfangen (receive)
emp- sense, receive empfehlen (recommend)
empfinden (feel)

entarten (degenerate)
entbehren (miss, do without)
entdecken (discover)
entfallen (elude, slip)
away from entfernen (remove, take out)
ent- entkalken (decalcify)
English de-/dis- entkleiden (disrobe, undress)
entkommen (escape, get away)
entlassen (discharge, release)
entstehen (originate, be formed/created)
entwerten (devalue, cancel)

erhängen (hang, execute)

fatal, dead erschiessen (shoot dead)
ertrinken (drown)
er-
s. erinnern (remember)
like English re- erkennen (recognize)
erholen (recover, relax)

gebrauchen (use, make use of)

gedenken (commemorate, intend)
gefallen (like)
gehören (belong to)
gelangen (arrive at)
ge- --
geloben (vow)
genesen (recover, recuperate)
gestalten (shape, form)
gestehen (confess)
gewähren (grant, give, offer)

missachten (disregard, disdain)

missbrauchen (abuse, misuse)
miss- English mis-
misstrauen (mistrust)
missverstehen (misunderstand)

ver- bad, awry verachten (despise)

English mis- verbilden (miseducate)

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 verderben (go bad, spoil)
s. verfahren (go astray, get lost)
verkommen (go to ruin, become run down)
verschlafen (oversleep)

verdrängen (drive out)

verduften (lose its aroma)
lose, away/out
verlassen (leave, abandon)
verlieren (lose)

verbieten (forbid)
English for- vergeben (forgive)
vergessen (forget)

verbinden (bandage, link, tie)

vergrößern (enlarge)
???
verhaften (arrest)
versprechen (promise)

vollenden (complete, finish)

voll-* full, complete vollführen (execute, perform)
vollstrecken (enforce, execute)

*NOTE: Some verbal expressions with voll treat voll as an adverb rather than a prefix, and are spelled with the adverb
voll separated from the verb, even in the infinitive form. Examples include: voll dröhnen (dope/tank up), voll essen
(gorge oneself), voll machen (fill [up]).

zerbrechen (shatter)
collapse, shatter,
zer- zerreissen (rip up, shred)
shred
zerstören (destroy)

NOTE: Inseparable-prefix verbs do not add the normal past participle prefix ge- in the perfect tenses. See the examples
below.

Comments: Inseparable Prefix Verbs

There are verbs in English that are constructed and used much like
German inseparable-prefix verbs: contend, extend, pretend, and intend
are all based on the verb "tend." A similar example in German is the verb
finden (find). By adding various inseparable prefixes, German alters the
meaning of finden to create new meanings:

 sich befinden (be located),

 empfinden (feel), or

 erfinden (invent).

As you can see, many common German verbs are inseparable-prefix

verbs.

German verbs with inseparable prefixes do not add the normal past
participle prefix ge- in the perfect tenses. Examples: bekommen (to get)
hat/hatte bekommen; erwarten (to expect, await) hat/hatte erwartet;
verstehen (to understand) hat/hatte verstanden.

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 Dual or Variable Prefixes
Separable/Inseparable Prefixes
(Can be either one or the other)

Prefix Meaning Examples

durchdringen (sep., penetrate)

durch- through durchfahren (sep., drive through)
durchfressen (insep., eat through [acid, rust, etc.])

hinterlassen (insep., leave; bequeath)

hinter- behind
hinterlassen (sep., allow s.o. to go behind)

überfahren (insep., run over)

überfahren (sep., ferry across, cross over)
over, überfallen (insep., attack, hold up [a bank])
über-
across übersetzen (insep., translate)
übersetzen (sep., ferry across)
überwinden (insep., overcome)

umarmen (insep., embrace, hug)

umbauen (sep., renovate, convert)
umbauen (insep., enclose, surround)
umbinden (sep., tie on)
um- around
umkehren (sep., turn back, turn inside out)
umschreiben (sep., rewrite, transcribe)
umschreiben (insep., paraphrase, outline; skate around [fig.])
umziehen (sep., move [to new residence], change [clothes])

unterbrechen (insep., interrupt, disconnect)

unterbringen (sep., accomodate)
unterdrücken (insep., oppress, repress, suppress)
unter- down untergehen (sep., sink, perish)
unternehmen (insep., do, undertake)
unterwerfen (insep., conquer, subjugate)
unterzeichnen (insep., sign [a document])

widerklingen (sep., resound)

widerlegen (insep., refute, disprove)
wider- against, re- widerraten (insep., advise/counsel against)
widersprechen (insep., contradict)
widertönen (sep., echo)

wiedergeben (insep., restore, give back; recite, perform;

represent, reproduce, convey)
wieder- again
wiederkehren (sep., return, repeat, recur)
wiedersehen (sep., see/meet again)

Note: All of the dual verb prefixes are stressed when separable, unstressed when inseparable: übersetzen (ferry
across) vs. übersetzen (translate).

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Comments: Dual-Prefix (Variable-Prefix) Verbs

In most cases, dual prefixes tend to be either mostly separable or

inseparable. For example, the prefix durch- is usually separable. Its use
as an inseparable prefix is limited to only a few instances, such as the
verbs durchfressen, to eat through (chemically) or durchblitzen, to
flash through (one's mind). On the other hand, the prefix über- is usually
inseparable, as in übersetzen, to translate. Others, such as hinter-, are
used in very few verbs at all. So it is best to concentrate on learning the
few exceptions for the dual prefixes. Simply learn those exceptional dual-
prefix verbs as vocabulary.

Another helpful guideline concerns the meaning of verbs with dual

prefixes. If the verb is used in its literal sense (übersetzen, carry across,
transfer), the prefix is separable. If the prefix is used in a figurative sense
(übersetzen, to translate), the prefix is inseparable. The same verb
spelling can have different meanings. For instance, when separable,
umbauen means "to renovate." When inseparable, umbauen means "to
enclose, surround" (to build around).

In spoken German, separable verb prefixes are stressed, while the

inseparable prefixes are unstressed. This also applies to the dual prefixes,
depending on whether they are separable or inseparable.

The form of the past participle for dual-prefix verbs also depends on
whether the prefix is separable or inseparable, as outlined on the previous
pages.

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SAMPLE SENTENCES

Below are sample sentences with separable (trennbar) and inseparable

(untrennbar) prefixes.

In the examples below, the separable or inseparable prefix is shown in

red, as in anfangen (to begin, sep.) or versprechen (to promise,
insep.). Each verb is shown with various pronouns/persons and in various
tenses.

Separable Prefix Verbs

Deutsch
Verb
English
Present Tense
Wann fangen wir an?
anfangen
When do we begin?
Wann fängt sie an?
anfangen
When does she begin?
Bitte atmen Sie tief ein.
einatmen
Please take a deep breath.
Pres. Perfect Tense
NOTE: Separable-prefix verbs use the normal past participle prefix ge- in the perfect tenses. See the examples
below.

Wann haben sie angefangen?

anfangen
When did they begin?
Past Perfect Tense
Wann hatten Sie angefangen?
anfangen
When had you begun?
Past Tense
Wann fingen wir an?
anfangen
When did we begin?
Wann fing sie an?
anfangen
When did she begin?
With Modals
Können wir heute anfangen?
anfangen
Can we begin today?

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 Ich muss jetzt anfangen.
anfangen
I have to begin now.
Inseparable Prefix Verbs
Deutsch
Verb
English
Present Tense
Ich verspreche nichts.
versprechen
I'm not promising anything.
Was versprichst du mir?
versprechen
What are you promising me?
Pres. Perfect Tense
NOTE: Inseparable-prefix verbs do not use the normal past participle prefix ge- in the perfect tenses. See the
examples below.

Was hast du mir versprochen?

versprechen
What did you promise me?

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