Separable Prefixes 1
Below we have listed the most common separable prefixes in German. For more of the separable
prefixes, including less common ones (fehl-, statt-, etc.), see Separable Prefixes 2.
Verb Prefixes: Inseparable > Separable 1 > Separable 2 > Dual >
Rechtschreibreform > Sample Sentences with verb prefixes
SEPARABLE PREFIXES
Separable Prefixes 1
Trennbare Präfixe 1
Prefix Meaning
Examples
AB
ab-
from
abblenden (screen, fade out, dim [lights])
abdanken (abdicate, resign)
abkommem (get away)
abnehmen (pick up; decrease, reduce)
abschaffen (abolish, do away with)
abziehen (deduct, withdraw, print [photos])
AN
an-
at, to
anbauen (cultivate, grow, plant)
anbringen (fasten, install, display)
anfangen (begin, start)
1
anhängen (attach)
ankommen (arrive)
anschauen (look at, examine)
auf-
on, out, up, un- aufbauen (build up, put up, add on)
aufdrehen (turn on, unscrew, wind up)
auffallen (stand out, be noticeable)
aufgeben (give up; check [luggage])
aufkommen (arise, spring up; bear [costs])
aufschließen (unlock; develop [land])
aus-
out, from
ausbilden (educate, train)
ausbreiten (extend, spread out)
ausfallen (fail, fall out, be canceled)
ausgehen (go out)
ausmachen (10 meanings!)
aussehen (appear, look [like])
auswechseln (exchange, replace [parts])
See The 10 Meanings of the German Verb 'ausmachen'.
BEI
bei-
along, with
beibringen (teach; inflict)
beikommen (get hold of, deal with)
beischlafen (have sexual relations with)
beisetzen (bury, inter)
2
beitragen (contribute [to])
beitreten (join)
durch-*
through
durchhalten (withstand, endure; hold out)
durchfahren (drive through)
*The prefix durch- is usually separable, but it can also be inseparable. See Dual Prefixes.
ein-
in, into, inward, down einatmen (inhale)
einberufen (conscript, draft; convene, summon)
einbrechen (break in; break down/through, cave in)
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)
forttreiben (drive away)
MIT
mit-
along, with, co- mitarbeiten (cooperate, collaborate)
mitbestimmen (co-determine, have a say in)
mitbringen (bring along)
mitfahren (go/travel with, get a lift)
mitmachen (join in, go along with)
mitteilen (inform, communicate)
nach-
after, copy, re- nachahmen (imitate, emulate, copy)
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nachbessern (retouch)
nachdrucken (reprint)
nachfüllen (refill, top up/off)
nachgehen (follow, go after; run slow [clock])
nachlassen (slacken, loosen)
VOR
vor-
before, forward, pre-, pro-
vorbereiten (prepare)
vorbeugen (prevent; bend forward)
vorbringen (propose, bring up; bring forward, produce)
vorführen (present, perform)
vorgehen (proceed, go on, go first)
vorlegen (present, submit)
WEG
weg-
away, off
wegbleiben (stay away)
wegfahren (leave, drive off, sail away)
wegfallen (be discontinued, cease to apply, be omitted)
weghaben (have got done, have got done)
wegnehmen (take away)
wegtauchen (disappear)
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ZU
zu-
shut/closed, to, towards, upon zubringen (bring/take to)
zudecken (cover up, tuck in)
zuerkennen (bestow, confer [on])
zufahren (drive/ride towards)
zufassen (make a grab for)
zulassen (authorize, license)
zunehmen (increase, gain, add weight)
zurück- back, re-
zurückblenden (flash back [to])
zurückgehen (go back, return)
zurückschlagen (hit/strike back)
zurückschrecken (shrink back/from, recoil, shy away)
zurücksetzen (reverse, mark down, put back)
zurückweisen (refuse, repulse, turn back/away)
zusammen-
together
zusammenbauen (assemble)
zusammenfassen (summarize)
zusammenklappen (fold up, shut)
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).
NEXT > Separable Prefixes 2 | Dual Prefixes (Separable/Inseparable)
Also see: Verb Prefixes and Rechtschreibreform
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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. See Lesson 19 and the Sample Sentences page for more about
this.
In spoken German, separable verb prefixes are stressed.
All of the separable-prefix verbs form their past participle with ge-. Examples: Sie hat gestern angerufen,
She called/telephoned yesterday. Er war schon zurückgegangen, He had already gone back. - For more
about German verb tenses, see our German Verbs section.
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German Verb Prefixes
Separable and Inseparable Verb Prefixes
Verbalpräfixe - Vorsilben bei Zeitwörtern
This verb prefix guide, with a prefix chart, is part of Lesson 19 of our of free German for Beginners
course. To learn more about German verbs, also see our German Verbs section and the Verb-Lexikon.
Part 1: Inseparable Prefixes
Verb Prefixes
There are three kinds of verb prefixes in German: (1) separable (trennbar), (2) inseparable (untrennbar),
and (3) 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.
If you are not already familiar with how separable and inseparable verbs are used in a sentence, see
Lesson 19 and our Sample Sentences page for examples.
Also see additional comments at the end of each section of the prefix chart.
Verb Prefixes: Inseparable > Separable > Dual >
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Rechtschreibreform > Sample Sentences with verb prefixes
Inseparable Prefixes
Untrennbare Präfixe
Prefix Meaning
be-
Examples
like English be-
makes verb take a direct object (acc.)
s. befinden (be located)
befolgen (follow)
befreunden (befriend)
begegnen (meet)
bekommen (get)
bemerken (notice, remark)
emp-
sense, receive empfangen (receive)
empfehlen (recommend)
empfinden (feel)
ent-
away from
English de-/dis- entarten (degenerate)
entbehren (miss, do without)
entdecken (discover)
entfallen (elude, slip)
entfernen (remove, take out)
entkalken (decalcify)
entkleiden (disrobe, undress)
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entkommen (escape, get away)
entlassen (discharge, release)
entstehen (originate, be formed/created)
entwerten (devalue, cancel)
er-
fatal, dead
erhängen (hang, execute)
erschiessen (shoot dead)
ertrinken (drown)
like English re- s. erinnern (remember)
erkennen (recognize)
erholen (recover, relax)
ge-
--
gebrauchen (use, make use of)
gedenken (commemorate, intend)
gefallen (like)
gehören (belong to)
gelangen (arrive at)
geloben (vow)
genesen (recover, recuperate)
gestalten (shape, form)
gestehen (confess)
gewähren (grant, give, offer)
miss-
English mis-
missachten (disregard, disdain)
missbrauchen (abuse, misuse)
misstrauen (mistrust)
missverstehen (misunderstand)
ver-
bad, awry
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English mis-
verachten (despise)
verbilden (miseducate)
verderben (go bad, spoil)
s. verfahren (go astray, get lost)
verkommen (go to ruin, become run down)
verschlafen (oversleep)
lose, away/out verdrängen (drive out)
verduften (lose its aroma)
verlassen (leave, abandon)
verlieren (lose)
English for-
verbieten (forbid)
vergeben (forgive)
vergessen (forget)
???
verbinden (bandage, link, tie)
vergrößern (enlarge)
verhaften (arrest)
versprechen (promise)
voll-*
full, complete vollenden (complete, finish)
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]).
zer-
collapse, shatter, shred zerbrechen (shatter)
zerreissen (rip up, shred)
zerstören (destroy)
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NOTE: Inseparable-prefix verbs do not add the normal past participle prefix ge- in the perfect tenses.
See the examples below.
NEXT > Separable Prefixes | Dual Prefixes
Also see: Verb Prefixes and Rechtschreibreform
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. For more about German verb tenses, see our
German Verbs section.
NEXT > Separable Prefixes | Dual Prefixes
MORE > Sample Sentences with verb prefixes
Related Pages
Lesson 19
An introduction to separable-prefix verbs and their conjugation. Includes a brief look at inseparable
prefixes as well. Part of our online German for Beginners course.
Verb Prefixes and Rechtschreibreform
How do the new German spelling rules affect verb prefixes?
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The 10 Meanings of the German Verb 'ausmachen'
There are at least ten different basic meanings for the German verb ausmachen. This lesson examines
each meaning and provides examples in German and English.
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